


The Start of Something Grand

by SpiritSoul



Series: Crescendo [1]
Category: Ghost (Swedish Band)
Genre: F/M, Hallucinations, Masturbation, Nightmares, Porn With Plot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-24
Updated: 2016-12-23
Packaged: 2018-08-24 08:15:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 6
Words: 26,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8364679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpiritSoul/pseuds/SpiritSoul
Summary: Mary knows that Emeritus has the answers to her questions. When he'll reveal them to her, she doesn't.





	1. Fifty Minutes Until Closing Time

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfiction in a LONG time, and it is also my first time writing something with this high of a rating, so please bear with me.
> 
> Also, I'm new on AO3, so constructive criticism is greatly appreciated.
> 
> Thank you, and enjoy reading!

No sunlight ever shone in the sky above the land known as Meliora, for it was always an eternal night. The mere idea of “Day” was utterly non-existent in the minds of its citizens. The only buildings that could be seen were the massive, towering skyscrapers which gave the impression that one could touch the stars should he or she manage to climb to the top. It was a place where it was easy to reach the pinnacle of success, and even easier to fall into the pit of absolute poverty.

There were no temples or places of worship of any kind, for there was no god for the people to praise. But the citizens did have a ruler who was, in a way, treated like a god. Large stone statues of him were scattered throughout the massive city. People would bow their heads and get down on their knees when in his presence. No one spoke a word until he had spoken. And not one soul dared to defy him, for fear of facing horrific punishment.

“Seriously, Mary, I just don’t get why you’re so fascinated by him.”

Mary turned away from the window and looked at the older girl who had spoken to her from across the room.

“Who?” Mary asked. She then pointed to the stone statue that was across the street from the building the two of them were residing in. “You mean Papa Emeritus?”  
The other girl huffed and rolled her eyes, placing her feet on top of the desk she was seated at.

“No, the customer who had just walked out,” she stated blandly. The girl glared at Mary underneath the brim of her hat momentarily before she looked down at the guitar in her hands. She plucked the first three strings, ensuring that they were in tune before moving down to tune the fourth string.

Mary glanced toward the shop’s door, then turned back to face the girl with the guitar. A look of confusion showed on her face. “E-Esther, what do you mean? I don’t-”

“Of course I mean Emeritus! I was being sarcastic!” Esther twisted one of the tuners before plucking the string again. “Jeez! At least learn to identify sarcasm before you die and head off to your grave.” She plucked the string a couple more times before lifting her head to meet Mary’s eyes once more. “Now be a good little sister and rearrange those vinyl records. You know Uncle Stretto doesn’t like having them out of order.”

Mary hesitated for a moment before obeying Esther’s command. She turned and walked toward the wall in front of her, where record albums lined the shelves. Grabbing the first bunch, she glanced through the albums, ensuring that all the ones by the same artists were grouped together and that they were in alphabetical order. When that group of albums had been sorted through, she put them back where she had found them, and moved on to the next set.

“It’s just-… I don’t believe what people say about him,” Mary said. As Mary talked, she heard Esther continuing to tune the guitar, ignoring her. “M-maybe… Maybe he’s not really such a bad guy.”

Esther abruptly stopped playing the guitar and looked at Mary with an exasperated expression.

“N-... Not bad?!” she cried. “Mary, don’t you know what people say about Emeritus?! If you disobey, he’ll take you to the laboratory in his tower and tie you up. And then, he and his ghouls will steal your breath! Take out your eyes! Unscrew your hands and feet from their sockets! You’ll never be seen or heard from again! And you think that he’s ‘not bad’?!”

Mary cringed upon hearing her older sister yell at her. “W-well… no one knows what really happens to those that Papa takes away, s-so what if it’s nothing but-”

A loud “Ding!” signaled to them that the door had opened, and Mary was forced to hold back the final word of her sentence - “superstition”. Immediately, Esther lowered her head and refocused on tuning the guitar while Mary went back to sorting the albums. A young man had stepped in, and he walked over to the desk where Esther was seated.

“Is this Stretto’s Symphony?” he asked, a cheerful smile spread across his face. “The best music store in all of Meliora?”

Esther continued to look down at her guitar. “Why are you asking me?” she asked, an obvious amount of irritation present in her voice. “Did you not read the sign as you walked in?”

The man, surprised at Esther’s harsh tone, took a small step away from the desk. “I-I'm sorry, I was just-”

“Nevermind,” Esther grumbled, interrupting him. She twisted the tuner sharply and plucked the string. It was way out of tune. “What do you need?”

Mary put down the set of albums she had been rearranging and turned to look at the customer. His back was facing her, and he wore a black hoodie which hid his hair. He was also quite short, about her own height.

“Just a new pair of drumsticks,” he said, putting his weight onto one foot. “Maple wood ones, specifically.”

“We ran out.”

The man blinked in surprise. “...Are you sure?” he asked. “I thought the sign outside said ‘As long as there’s music, we’ll have what you-’”

Esther put down the guitar and rested her elbows on the desk. She raised one hand to stop the man from speaking any further while she used the other to cover her eyes.

“Sir, it’s just a stupid catchphrase,” she sighed. “We don’t have any more maple wood drumsticks currently in stock. Someone else bought the last pair earlier tonight.” Esther then took her hand away from her eyes and looked up at the man. “Either buy ones made of a different kind of wood, or come back another night. Or, go to another music store, for all I care! Just don’t waste my time. I’m closing this place in less than an hour.”

The man lingered silently at the desk before sighing, and he turned toward the door he had entered through. Mary noticed that he had a worried expression on his face.

“O-okay, well…” he began. The man then sighed and hung his head. “Thanks anyway.”

Mary watched the young man as he started for the door, then glanced back at Esther. She had picked up her guitar again and was once more attempting to retune it. The string was still out of tune. Glancing back at the customer, Mary noticed that he was now almost at the door.

“W-wait!” Mary yelled, taking a few steps closer to him. “Don’t leave yet!” The man abruptly stopped and turned to face her. Mary noticed that his eyes were a bright blue-green color, and for a moment she found herself at a loss for words. “We… We still have a few maple drumsticks in stock! I-in the back!” She backed up a couple steps while keeping her eyes on the customer. “I-I’ll go and get you a pair, if you still want them...”

“Mary!” Esther abruptly stood up, clearly both shocked and angered by what she was hearing. “Why was I not informed of thi-?”

“Yes. Please do,” the man said, a smile now back on his face.

Mary smiled back, but she wasn’t as composed. “O-okay, just… just wait here. Give me a minute, and I’ll find them.” The girl then turned and headed for the door near the back of the store. She forced it open with an urgent quickness and burst into the windowless room. After catching her breath, she closed the door with care and glanced around, taking note of her surroundings. Boxes of all shapes and sizes littered the room; some stacked on top of other boxes, others lying on the floor alone. Her eyes went back and forth between the countless number of boxes, and nervousness began to grip her. She didn’t remember the stock room being so disorganized. After a moment, she took a shaky breath.

“Maple… drumsticks…” she mumbled to herself. She made her way over to one of the boxes which had already been opened. “Should be easy to find, right?” However, when she looked inside the box, she found only plastic wrap and a couple dust bunnies. She then noticed a much smaller box that had been placed on top of two bigger boxes. That had to be it! Two drumsticks per box, right?

But it didn’t have any drumsticks, only a microphone.

Mary continued to open and reopen the boxes around her. She found guitar picks, a bass, cymbals, another microphone, a couple kazoos, a bunch of piano keys, and a harmonica. But no drumsticks. She cast a worried glance toward the door which led to the shop. Any minute now, Esther might burst through the door and yell at her for taking so long that the man had been forced to leave. She absolutely did not want that to happen. “Keep looking,” Mary told herself. “They’ve got to be here somewhere…” Eventually, she opened one of the small boxes along the wall, and upon seeing the contents inside, smiled.

“Finally! Drumsticks!” she said. She reached into the box and pulled two of them out. Standing up, she gave a sigh of relief. “Well! That wasn’t so hard.” However, when she glanced once more at the drumsticks she was holding, she noticed something was off. Frowning, she took one in each hand and hit them together. The sound they made was dull and low in pitch. Upon closer inspection, she realized what was wrong.

“They’re too thick,” she mumbled. “And made of oak.” Not what the guy had asked for. Disappointed, she placed the drumsticks back into the box and groaned. She raised her hands and gripped her hair tightly, yanking it.

“I’m never going to find them in this mess!” she thought to herself. Slowly, Mary unclenched her hair, got up, and began trudging back toward the door. She sighed. “...I guess I’ll just have to tell the guy I couldn’t find-”

An odd sound stopped Mary mid-sentence, and she ceased walking. Looking around, she noticed that one of the boxes had fallen onto its side, and there was the sound of movement coming from inside it. Cautiously, she made her way over to the box and knelt down. When she opened it, she was met with a bright pair of eyes staring back at her, one green and the other a pale blue. She smiled when she heard the quiet meow.

“Annali! There you are!” she said. Mary adjusted her position to allow the cat to exit the box, and the siamese gracefully bounded out. “It’s been two months! How have you been?” Annali purred as Mary scratched her chin, and she rubbed herself against the girl’s thigh. 

As Mary petted the cat, she noticed the accessory around its neck. It was a black collar, with a small silver inverted cross in the center. In the center of the cross was a small ‘G’. She knew based on the collar just who the cat belonged to. Every time Annali appeared to her, it meant that a conversation with him would soon follow. Whether it was long or short, the length of their conversation varied with each visit. 

“...Does he want to talk to me?” Mary asked. “Right now?” Annali looked up at her, blinked, then meowed as if to respond. The cat leapt a short distance away before it weaved past another group of boxes, heading farther into the room. Mary watched Annali disappear before getting up to follow her.

Other than the unfortunate increasing amount of dust, the storage room became neater as Mary followed Annali. Less and less boxes littered the floor, making it easier to navigate. Eventually, she arrived in the very back of the room. Here, all the boxes were stacked neatly on top of each other, leaving plenty of room on the floor. Annali was sitting in the center of the room, waiting for Mary.

“Here? But it’s so dusty,” Mary said, wrinkling her nose as she glanced around at the surroundings. She then looked back at the cat. “Wouldn’t he prefer much cleaner conditions? I’m sure he’d understand if we wait…” Her voice trailed off when Annali seemed to glare at her impatiently, the cat’s eyes shining like stars in the dim room. “Okay, okay,” Mary sighed, walking closer to the siamese. “I’ll talk to him.” She bent down and gently scooped up Annali, cradling the cat in both arms. “It has been quite some time. It'll be nice to hear his voice again,” she mumbled. She then closed her eyes, steadied her breathing, and began to slowly pet the cat’s head.

At first, there was nothing, only silence. Annali didn’t even purr. Soon, however, the air began to grow colder. Mary shivered, but continued to gently pet the cat in her arms. The chill grew increasingly frigid, teasing her arms and face like delicate fingers, and settling around her legs like standing water. Her hands and feet went numb as the cold soon enveloped her entire body, but she kept her eyes closed, even when she could no longer feel Annali in her arms. A sudden gust of wind blew against her, filling the room with a roaring sound. She felt as if she had been tossed into a deep, icy lake but could only feel the chill that was surrounding her. Then, without any warning, she felt large hands gently grip her shoulders, and the cold and numbness went away. The roaring of the wind died down, and it was silent again.

“En vacker kväll, Ghuleh,” came a quiet voice behind her. “How wonderful it is to see you again!”

Mary smiled. He was here.


	2. Wish

Mary could feel Emeritus’ eyes lock onto her with a caring, yet authoritative, gaze. “P-Papa… I missed you,” she said, taking care to speak quietly so her voice would not be heard in the other room.

“I know, child. I know,” he whispered back. “Two months is a very long time, indeed.” He took one hand off her and brushed his thumb against her cheek. “But it’s alright. I’m here now. Don’t cry.”

Mary giggled. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to break down like last time.” 

She began to open one eye, but a gloved finger delicately touched her eyelid and reclosed it.

“Not now,” Emeritus commanded. He placed his hand back onto her shoulder. “You still don’t have permission to look upon me yet, remember?” 

Whimpering slightly, Mary obeyed. She kept her eyes shut and lowered her head, ashamed that she had nearly broken one of the most well-known rules in Meliora: No one, whether man, woman, or child, was allowed to open their eyes when in the presence of Papa Emeritus unless they had been given permission from him to do so. Very few citizens of Meliora had actually been permanently granted this permission. The only people Mary knew who had been permitted to do so were the five “Nameless Ghouls” who followed Emeritus’ every step and command. She envied the five masked beings. 

“When… When will I get the chance to see you?” she asked, her voice hushed due to the shame which still lingered inside her.

“When?” Papa repeated. His thumbs began rubbing her shoulders in small, circular motions. “But you have that statue of me just outside your store. Not to mention there’s another one that you pass by every night on the way to and from your apartment.” A pause, then he spoke again. “...Are you implying that it's not enough?”

“N-no! Not at all! W-what I meant to ask was…” Mary paused and took a breath to calm herself. “When will I really get to see you? In person. When will you grant me permanent permission?” She felt ashamed at how selfish she currently sounded, but quickly shook it off. “You promised that you'd give it to me,” she murmured.  
A quiet gasp left her lips when Emeritus suddenly pulled her closer, snaking his hands down her arms until he could grasp her own. She struggled to fight the urge to open her eyes.

“Soon, Ghuleh,” he said reassuringly. “Soon.”

“You said that the last time we met!”

Mary felt Emeritus shift his position slightly, and a gloved hand suddenly grabbed her chin, tilting her head upward. She could feel his breath on her ear; the heat of his breath teasing her skin like his delicate fingers. She shivered.

“This time, I mean it,” Papa whispered. When he spoke this time, however, his voice almost sounded like a growl. “You will be granted permission, Mary. And when you are, a grave responsibility will be placed upon your shoulders.”

Mary shut her eyes tighter to stop herself from opening them. If she had been allowed to keep her eyes open, they would’ve been wide open from surprise by now. Papa hardly ever addressed her by her real name, but whenever he did it meant he was being completely earnest and demanded her attention. She tried to think of something to say, but when she opened her mouth, no sound came out.

“It will completely change your life. It may seem like all fun and games in the beginning, but you will eventually be faced with danger everywhere you turn.” His thumb slowly traced her lower lip. “You will lose this precious innocence and naivety that you currently possess. You will not know who to trust. The meanings of good and evil will become so unclear that you will no longer be able to tell the difference between the two. And you will constantly wonder if you have gone completely, utterly, mad.” Emeritus spat out the final word of his sentence like he had just tasted something repulsive, and shook Mary violently for only a moment before stopping himself. His breathing slowed, and he loosened his grip on the girl, once more placing a hand on each shoulder. “...Do you still wish for it?” he asked, now speaking in the calm, hushed tone he had been using earlier. He seemed to sound apologetic, as if he suddenly felt guilty about trying to frighten her.

Despite this, Mary did not hesitate to reply. “Yes,” she answered confidently. “I do.”

“Even after everything I told you?”

“Yes.”

Emeritus remained silent for a moment, then spoke again. “Why?” he asked, tilting his head slightly to the side.

“...Because I want to see the face of the man who saved my life.”

Mary’s response was met with more silence, and for a moment she worried if she had said the right thing. Was that even a good enough reason? She did her best to remain calm while she waited for some sort of response from Papa.

“...You still remember...” Papa’s voice finally broke the silence; hushed and commending. “Even after all these years…” He chuckled and took his hands off Mary. “I’ll consider that.” His smile then disappeared, and he once more spoke in a serious tone.

“Regardless, I want you to reconsider all of your possible choices just one last time, before I visit you again,” he said. His tone then changed to one of genuine concern. “...I don’t want you to make a decision that you will regret. It would be best for you to be careful what you wish for.”

Another moment of silence, then Papa reached over and gently grabbed Mary’s wrist. He rolled up the sleeve of her leather jacket so he could look at the watch she was wearing. “...Oh dear,” he said, raising his eyebrows. “It seems that you’ve been here for quite some time.” He let go of her wrist and stepped back, bowing slightly. “Forgive me, Ghuleh. I shall not waste any more of your time.” After he spoke, the chill and roaring wind from before suddenly began to return. “Annali will help you find those drumsticks. Just follow her and you will find what you are looking for.”

Another pause. The roaring of the wind was louder and blew more strongly, almost with the strength of a storm.

“Open your eyes, Mary.”

Mary immediately obeyed the command, and the wind and the cold disappeared. She turned around to look behind her, but was only met with a shelf that was lined with boxes. She sighed. Emeritus had left her again.

A meow caught her attention, and Mary looked down to find Annali back on the floor, rubbing herself against her leg. Mary smiled.

“Alright, Annali,” she said. “Help me find those drumsticks.”

***

“Here, I found them.” 

Mary handed the drumsticks to the customer and hung her head. “...Sorry for taking so long.”

“No, it’s fine. Don’t worry about it,” he replied, smiling as he inspected the drumsticks. “I wasn’t in any rush, anyway.” He then reached into his pocket and took out a wallet. Opening it, he took out a few small, purplish-blue papers. “They’re about ten avaritia, right?” Mary nodded her head in reply, and he held out the money toward her. “Here you go,” he said enthusiastically.

“Keep it.”

The man blinked, unsure if he had heard Mary correctly. He looked confused. “But… Don’t I have to pay?” he asked.

“I made you wait longer than you should have,” Mary said. “Keep the money. The drumsticks are yours for free.”

Esther opened her mouth to object, but quickly closed it again, forcing herself to be quiet.

Slowly, the man’s smile returned to his face. “Wow, thank you!” he exclaimed, his eyes shining with delight. He then put the avaritia back into his wallet. After putting the wallet back into his pocket, he once more observed the drumsticks in his hand, turning them over. “Nice... really nice,” he mumbled. After a moment, the customer lifted his head and met Mary’s eyes. “Thank you,” he repeated. He then turned and headed for the door. However, just as he reached out a hand toward the door, he stopped and once more looked back at Mary, this time with a more serious expression.

“He’s right, you know,” he said. “You really should be careful what you wish for.” He then pushed the door open and stepped outside. Mary stared at him, eyes wide, as he exited the store.

Esther turned to face Mary after the door had closed behind the customer.

“What took you so long?!” she asked, slamming her hands onto the desk. Her eyes narrowed as Mary backed away from her, clearly startled. “He was practically ready to leave!”

“I-I, uh…” Mary struggled to find the words to say.

“And why in the world did you give them to him for free?! Do you not realize how little we earn at this place?! Clearly, it seems that you don’t.” Esther opened the cash register and began to take out the avaritia bills. “So since you don’t seem to remember, I’ll remind you.” She sloppily dropped the money onto the desk and reached into the cash register to grab more, not caring if she managed to crumple any of the bills with her hands.

“Fifty!” Esther shouted after finally taking all the money out of the register. “We only made fifty avaritia today! And it could’ve been sixty!” She furiously swiped her hand across the desk, knocking some of the cash onto the floor. Mary hurriedly bent down to pick up the bills.

“We should be making at least sixty avaritia each!” Esther knocked more money onto the floor in her fit of rage, the pieces of paper falling past Mary’s face like dust. “But ever since Uncle Stretto agreed to let you work here, you've been causing us to lose more and more money with your stupid, kind-hearted ways!”

Mary stood up, anger and sadness present on her face. Her hands clenched tighter and trembled, crumpling the money she was holding. “W-Well…!” she yelled, blinking repeatedly to prevent tears from leaking out of her eyes. “Unlike you, I'm trying to be honest with the customers! Honesty is important!”

Esther huffed and raised her hands in exasperation. “Again with your little honesty philosophy, Mary?!” she exclaimed. “How many times do I have to remind you? Honesty does not keep businesses like this…” she aimlessly gestured toward a random part of the store while looking her sister in the eye. “...running.” Esther grabbed one of the avaritia bills and shook it in front of Mary’s face. “It’s money that does.” Her eyes darkened. “Without it, all of the things in this store would just sit here and collect…” She paused, then over enunciated the final word of her sentence before dropping the avaritia back into the pile on the desk. “...dust.”

Esther’s eyes glanced downward toward Mary’s hands, eyeing the cash. “How much have you got there, sister?” she asked, pointing at the money Mary had been holding.

Mary slowly loosened her grip and looked down at the pieces of paper in her hands. She uncrumpled the bills and began to count them.

“Two… eight… ten…” Mary kept her voice hushed as she counted. Based on the small number of bills in her hands, she knew it wasn’t going to be much. “... sixteen.”

Not very much at all.

Esther raised an eyebrow. “...That’s it?” she asked. A smile seemed to tug at the corners of her mouth, but she quickly hid it. “That’s all you have?” She sat back down on the chair behind her then spoke, not waiting for any sort of response from Mary. “Take it and leave,” she said, waving a hand toward the door.

“Wh-what?” Mary abruptly lifted her head, her eyes reflecting emotions of surprise and confusion. She looked at the clock. There was still at least thirty minutes to go until the store officially closed for the night.

“Well, since you apparently felt like dilly dallying so much tonight…” Esther reached over and grabbed the guitar she had been tuning earlier. “...You might as well just take what you have there and leave.” She twisted a few of the tuners, plucked a couple strings, and began to play the instrument. Mary recognized the tune immediately, despite the fact that what Esther was playing was much slower than the original song. Regardless, she allowed her brain to recall the lyrics as Esther eventually got to the first verse:

Living in the night  
'Neath devils torn asunder  
You call on me to solve a crooked rhyme

Noticing that Mary hadn’t budged, Esther stopped playing, lifted her head, and coughed, causing Mary to snap out of her daze.

“I said you could leave.”

That was definitely Mary’s queue. She glanced once more at her older sister before pocketing the money, then turned and headed for the door.

“And you didn’t finish sorting the record albums like I asked!” Esther said, louder than was necessary. “So with all this in mind, don’t expect any generous bonuses next week, even if you somehow manage to do a much better job!”

Mary hung her head as she pushed the door open wider, letting the warm breeze brush against her face. She made it outside and allowed the door to close behind her before she continued walking, headed in the direction of their apartment building. She stuffed her hands into the pockets on her jacket.

“Don’t worry, Esther,” she sighed. “...I won’t.

***

The statue of Papa Emeritus was magnificent: life-size, as well as flawless in every way. Its pose resembled a dramatic, yet elegant gesture toward the full moon in the sky which, along with the flickering streetlamps, illuminated its marble features. No matter how many times Mary passed by it, she always felt awed by the statue’s appearance and could never seem to suppress the urge to stop and look at it. And on this night, for some reason, the urge seemed particularly strong. Her eyes remained focused on the statue as she walked toward it with an unwavering stare.

She stopped in front of the statue and gazed upward, observing the still and silent artwork of Meliora’s authoritative figure. The sculptors had managed to get every single minuscule detail correct, even down to the stitching on Papa’s suit. It looked so real, as if some mythological creature had positioned him this way then turned him into solid stone. Her eyes traveled up toward the statue’s outstretched hand, then back to his face, and she suddenly felt drawn to the statue before her.

Mary reached out one hand and placed it on top of the statue’s marble base. She shivered momentarily upon feeling how cold it was. Her other hand followed suit, and she soon hoisted herself onto the statue’s base. She stood for a moment, balancing herself on the small stone square, before moving again. Standing on the tips of her toes, she reached up and grabbed the statue’s outstretched hand. Her other hand inched toward the statue’s other hand, which had been positioned in such a way that for a moment Mary struggled to wedge her hand into the partially closed fist. Eventually, though, she managed to grab the cold, stone hand, and held onto it gently.

She looked up into the statue’s face, admiring its features. Like the rest of the statue, there was not a single flaw in the facial details.  
Mary stared in wonder at the statue’s face. There was something so mysterious about Papa’s appearance. His voice made him seem youthful, but his face, dotted with small wrinkles, made him look much older. It was impossible for her to tell what his exact age was. Mid-twenties? Thirties? Forties? Mary sighed and closed her eyes. Whatever Papa’s age was, it didn't matter to her. Young or old, she still wanted to see him in the flesh.

In the distance, she could faintly hear the sound of a record player playing an orchestrated version of the same tune Esther had been playing earlier on the guitar. This version of the song had a much slower tempo than the original piece, almost like it had been edited to be fit for a waltz. She kept her eyes closed and listened closely to the tune, allowing the sounds of the flutes, violins, cymbals, and trumpets to overwhelm her until the sound of the instruments was the only noise her brain allowed her to hear. Before long, her mind painted a vivid picture, and she could visualize a grand ballroom. A crystal chandelier dimly illuminated the room. The walls were a dark red color, possibly crimson. The floor was littered with black and white square tiles, making it resemble a chess board. A large inverted cross hung on the largest wall, casting a grand shadow onto the floor. Still holding the statue’s hands, Mary slowly shifted her weight from foot to foot, doing her best to imitate a ballroom dance without falling. The song’s lyrics once more echoed in her mind:

As I’m closing in  
Imposing on your slumber  
You call on me as bells begin to chime…

The instruments went from forte to piano, allowing the violins and flutes to be heard more clearly. However, there was also the faint tinkling sound of a bell, which seemed to be getting louder. Mary suddenly realized that the sound of the bell was not coming from the record player, and she quickly opened her eyes. Looking around her, she tried to identify the source of the sound. Who would be ringing a bell this late at night? A rustling sound near the trash cans in the nearby alleyway caught her attention and, looking in that direction, she spotted the shadow of a cat slinking along the wall.

“...Annali?” Mary climbed down the statue and hurried toward the trash cans. “Is that you?”

The rustling stopped, and the cat suddenly came into view. Mary’s face fell. It wasn’t Annali. It wasn’t even a siamese. It was a small, fluffy tabby cat; older than a kitten but not yet fully grown. It was probably a stray. Mary turned away from the cat and began to walk away from it, but it meowed quietly and scampered after her, causing the sound of the bell to play again. Mary stopped, turned back to face the cat again, and yelped in surprise when it suddenly jumped on her, knocking her down to the ground. She tried to sit up with the cat still on top of her.

“What in the world is wrong with -- Ow!” She cried out again when the cat playfully bit her nose. Mary gripped the cat gently and pulled it away from her face. Placing it back down on the ground in front of her, she noticed that the cat had a black collar around its neck with a small, oddly shaped bell attached to it. The bell was in the shape of an upside down pyramid, and there was a horizontal line going through the bottom near - but not touching - the triangles’ vertices.

“Dahlia!” came a voice from the alleyway. The cat’s ears perked up, and it turned its head in the direction of the voice. Mary stood up and dusted herself off just as a figure came out of the shadows. The cat meowed quietly and scampered over toward the man who had just appeared.

“Dahlia! There you are!” he said, smiling while looking down at the cat. He bent down and picked it up, petting its head. “I thought I told you no more running off! I can’t keep being separated from the others like this.” The young man chuckled and lifted his head to look at Mary. “I’m so sorry. Dahlia here has a tendency to run away when I’m not watching her.”

“It’s all right,” Mary replied, exchanging a similar smile as she watched Dahlia snuggle herself against her owner. However, when Mary glanced at the man’s face, she immediately noticed the bright blue-green color of his eyes. Observing the rest of his face, she realized that the man was the same customer from before.  
Dahlia meowed, and her owner looked down at her. His eyes seemed to show confusion and disbelief as they glanced at Mary, then back at Dahlia.

“You… You really think so?” he asked, meeting the cat’s eyes. “You really think that she’s…?” He then lifted his head, and stepped closer to Mary. Mary felt the urge to get away from him, but her body didn’t move.

“You… You really do have lavender eyes…” the man said, his own eyes widening slightly. He stared at Mary, amazed. “Wow, incredible! How did I not see that earlier?!” (His voice then lowered until it was barely audible, and Mary thought she heard him say ‘They're kind of pretty, actually.’)

“...They’re just my eyes,” Mary replied, confused as to why the guy had suddenly become so fascinated by them. “I’m sorry, but I don’t understand why you have to be so excited about them just because they’re a different color.” She started to turn away from him. “They’re purple. So what? It’s nothing special. We all have colorful eyes. I’m sure there are plenty of other people in Meliora who have them.” She took a step away from the strange man, but no sooner had her foot touched the ground then Dahlia leapt out of her owner’s arms and scurried about until she stood directly in front of Mary. The cat sat down, looked her in the eyes, and mewed loudly twice.

“She says they are special,” said the man. “You’re practically the only one in Meliora with eyes that are a shade of purple.”  
Mary turned to look back at the man. “She said?” she asked, raising an eyebrow in disbelief. “What are you even talking about? Cats can’t talk.” Dahlia meowed again, and both persons turned to look at her.

“Dahlia, you know I can’t tell her that, yet!” her owner said. “Papa told all of us that she needs to find out when the time comes. No earlier.”

Mary looked back at the man, eyes wide. Had she heard him correctly? Did he just say that Emeritus had talked to him, and others, about her?

“Wh-... What did you say about Papa?” she asked, taking a step toward him. Immediately, the man backed away from her, eyes wide. He looked frightened; unsure of what he should do. He stammered as he tried to speak.

“I-I…uh...” He quickly glanced at Dahlia and motioned for her to come over with his hand. Immediately, the cat obeyed and ran until it was standing next to its owner’s heels. “I must go…” The man backed up a few more steps before he finally turned and ran down the alleyway with the cat following him, the ringing of the bell on Dahlia’s collar becoming quieter as they ran farther and farther away from Mary.

Mary stared down the alley for a moment before turning to look once more at the statue of Emeritus. She smiled.

“Papa,” she said, addressing the statue as if the motionless marble figure was the real person. “I don’t know what you have planned for me, but whatever it is…” Her smile widened, and she focused her attention on the road in front of her, continuing to walk toward home in the direction opposite the way the guy had gone.

“...I’ll follow through with it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who have questions about how or when Papa saved Mary's life, don't worry. It will be answered in time. :)


	3. Opulence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to take a moment to thank everyone who has read and left kudos on this work. I means so much to a newbie like me that so many people like this story. XD Love you all!
> 
> Also, to whoever subscribed to this work: Thank you! Thank you! THANK YOU!
> 
> I hope none of you are annoyed with how long it will take me to write future chapters. I've been really busy lately and I try to write as much as I can in my free time. I also hope the pacing of each chapter is good too. If not, please tell me. I'm trying really hard to become a better writer.
> 
> And, as always, constructive criticism is welcome!

Opulence Street. It was a rather ironic name for the most downtrodden part of Meliora. 

There was nothing about the place that displayed any sort of wealth. Hardly any of the apartment rooms were ever lit, broken glass littered the sidewalks and alleyways, and all of the buildings were the same shade of brown and in horrible condition. Worst of all, nearly all of its remaining inhabitants were street dwellers - people who roamed the streets looking to make a quick buck by any means necessary.

Mary quickened the pace of her steps as she attempted to hurry through this part of the city. This was the portion of her journey to and from home that she always dreaded. How she wished that her apartment was elsewhere so she wouldn’t have to pass through this place every night! But Esther, being the stingy older sister she was, had forced them to live in an apartment that was en route from Opulence Street. And, unfortunately for Mary, taking any other route back home other than through this portion of Meliora was extremely inconvenient.

As Mary walked, she shuddered upon seeing the conditions of the statues of Emeritus. Every one of the stone figures she passed by, and the areas around them, had been ravaged: piles of litter were scattered around each statue like it was supposed to be a garbage dump, and the walls of various buildings near them were covered in spray paint, depicting profane messages in a bright, blood red color. A few of the statues had even been toppled over, now lying on the ground as nothing but piles of rock. Not wanting to look at the sight, Mary kept her head down and continued on her way.

Mary eventually rounded a corner and stopped between two of the buildings. She raised her head and glanced at both brown structures. Hotel 12 was in front of her; the bronze number depicting the address still visible above the door. She then looked behind her at Hotel 13. The number was missing. She then listened for any signs of life in the desolate area: a voice, the creak of a wooden board, footsteps, anything. But she could hear nothing. Giving a sigh of relief, she smiled and continued walking. But no sooner had she taken a step forward...

“Hey,” came a female voice from the alleyway between the two buildings. “Where do you think you’re going?”

Mary stopped walking and bit down on her tongue to hold back a groan. She then turned toward where the voice had come from, and saw an older girl glaring at her. The girl's slightly tattered clothes were all black, matching the color of her hair. She wore dark makeup, and there was a red inverted cross tattoo on her right forearm. It took Mary a moment to recognize her; she believed that the girl’s name was ‘Lizzie’.

“It’s Friday, and you know the drill, Mary,” ‘Lizzie’ said.The girl then held out her hand and motioned Mary towards her with two fingers. “Now give us the money. And if it’s sufficient, we’ll leave you alone for the next seven days.”

Sighing, Mary took the avaritia bills out of her pocket and shuffled forward. She hesitated before giving Lizzie the cash. “...I’m being completely honest with you. This is all I have,” she said, keeping her head down to avoid eye contact.

Lizzie looked at the money she had just received, pressing her lips into a thin line. After a moment of silence, she glanced back at Mary. “Wait here.” She then turned and walked off into the darkness of the alleyway.

Mary leaned against the wall, staring at the cracks in the sidewalk. She could hear voices coming from the shadows at the far end of the passage, but she couldn’t see who they belonged to. She tapped one foot anxiously, occasionally glancing back into the darkness while she waited for Lizzie.

A few minutes later, the voices stopped and Lizzie returned, still holding the money Mary had given her. “Follow me,” she demanded. “The others wish to speak with you.” The two of them then headed down the dark alleyway- Lizzie taking the lead with a purposeful stride, and Mary staying behind her, taking hesitant, small steps.  
When they finally reached the dead end of the alleyway, Mary’s eyes finally finished adjusting to the darker conditions, and she saw two figures in the shadows standing in front of her. Lizzie made her way over to the wall opposite her and leaned against it, glaring at Mary impatiently as if to say ‘What the hell are you waiting for?’. Mary took a breath to calm herself.

“You, uh… You guys wanted to talk to me about something?” she asked. She then nervously bit her lip as she waited for a response.

“...Yes,” said the man on the right, who was standing next to Lizzie. “Yes we did.”

The guy on the left walked up to her, and roughly grabbed the collar of Mary’s shirt. 

“You see, Mary,” he continued. “We aren’t very pleased with how much money you gave us.”

Mary cried out when she was suddenly lifted off the ground and shoved against the wall. She gritted her teeth and tried to squirm out of the man’s grasp, but something cold and sharp was suddenly pressed against her neck, immediately making her stop. Her eyes widened - it was a knife.

“Search her,” the first man commanded the second. “She’s got to be hiding more.”

Her body now stock-still, Mary gave a pleading stare to the three people in front of her. “Guys, I’m telling you! That’s all I have!” she begged. She winced when the knife was pressed deeper into her neck, and the second man’s other hand began exploring the pockets on her jacket.

Lizzie looked down at the avaritia bills in her hand. “Last week you promised us double what you gave us last time,” she said. She met Mary’s eyes and held up the money. “Does this look like double to you?”

“I-I…!” Mary winced when she felt the man's hand reach into one of the pockets on her pants.

“Certainly doesn’t look like double to me,” said the guy next to Lizzie. “In fact, it looks like even less.” After a moment, he glanced at the man who was holding Mary against the wall. “Have you found any more, Edgar?” he asked.

Edgar gave an irritated sigh and took his hand out of Mary’s pocket. “I’ve checked all of them. There’s nothing left,” he grumbled. Edgar then grabbed Mary’s wrist and turned his head to look at the male associate who had spoken to him. “What should I do, Vlad?” he asked.

Vlad narrowed his eyes and smiled. “It’s actually quite simple,” he said. His hand reached out and snatched the money Lizzie had been holding. “Since she didn’t manage to cough up enough cash - despite her promise to us...” Vlad met Mary’s eyes, and his smile widened. “...You get to punish her in any way you see fit.”

Punish. Mary knew what Edgar’s method of punishment was, and the thought made her sick. She wanted no part in it. Gritting her teeth, she pressed her back against the wall, raised her legs and kicked Edgar in the stomach, sending him tumbling to the ground. Landing back on her feet, Mary immediately dashed for the street. But before she could get far, a hand reached out, grabbed, and gave a sharp tug on the back of her jacket. Mary soon found herself trapped in Lizzie’s embrace.

“Let me go!” she yelled, attempting to wrestle herself out of the taller girl's grasp. But Lizzie fought back with an equal amount of determination. Her fist collided with Mary’s stomach, and the younger girl immediately doubled over in pain, groaning. Lizzie then threw Mary to the ground back toward Vlad and Edgar.

“Little brat!” Lizzie growled. “Now you’re really going to get it!” Keeping her eyes focused on Mary, she held an open palm out toward Edgar. “Give me that knife!”

Mary held her aching shoulder as she attempted to get herself up off the ground, but a swift kick to the face from Vlad brought her back down. The impact with the pavement sent a dull pain through the back of her head, and for a moment she found herself unable to recover. The ache in her jaw from Vlad’s kick lingered as she blinked repeatedly, trying to escape the haziness that was clouding her mind and bring the world around her back into focus. She could feel the knife graze against her cheek as Lizzie traced her skin with the blade. Mary tried to move her arms, but realized her wrists were being held in place above her head by Edgar.  
Vlad laughed as he came closer to his partners, watching her struggle as Lizzie managed to make a few beads of blood appear on Mary’s face with the knife.

“By the time we’re done with you, you’ll be so battered and cut up that the citizens will start calling you a new name,” he said. Vlad then paused and thought in silence for only a moment. “I think… Yes, that would work...” A smile returned to his face. “You’d be known as ‘Bloody Mary’.”

The knife was suddenly brought down; tearing Mary’s shirt and slicing into her skin. Mary’s body tensed upon feeling the cold metal blade cut her, bringing with it a sharp stinging pain that quickly subsided as blood began to dribble down. Her jacket was forced off, revealing her shoulders which were cut immediately after being exposed. The blade then brushed against her right forearm, and she soon felt a similar pain near her wrist on that arm. The pain sprung up on her left arm - both the forearm and bicep. The knife tore her shirt again, and more blood dripped down near her collarbone.

Mary hated it all: the metallic scent of blood, the stinging pain, the flickering reflections of light on the blade of the knife, the crimson color dyeing her clothes red. She didn’t want it. She didn’t want to experience these sensations. She tried to escape, but Edgar’s firm grip kept her pinned down.

“They'll all look at you in your sorry state,” Vlad hissed. “And cry words of sympathy, but not one of them will shed a tear for you.” His eyes darkened and he leaned closer to Mary. “Do you know why?”

Mary opened her mouth to respond, but only another whimper of pain left her mouth as Lizzie cut her again.

“Because you are nothing but a purple-eyed freak.”

Freak. That last word echoed in her mind. Mary opened her eyes slightly. “...Freak...?” She repeated the word in a voice barely above a whisper.

A drop of blood began to trickle down her face from the cut on her cheek, leaving a small trail of red behind.

“Yes, Mary. A purple-eyed freak who clings to Meliora’s callous leader like he’s her own father. Or worse, a lover.” Vlad gritted his teeth and glared down at her with eyes that seemed to burn like embers. “You’ve denied it before, but it’s no use. We know the truth, and it’s absolutely disgraceful, you and your pathetic, meaningless relationship with him.”

The blood dribbled down past Mary’s lips. The taste of iron slowly seeped into her mouth.

“Emeritus doesn’t care about any of us. You are deluding yourself, thinking that he does. To him, we are nothing but puppets, and this world is his stage.” As Vlad spoke, Lizzie continued to cut Mary with the knife. Mary winced, but uttered no cry of pain this time. Not even a whimper. She merely licked her upper lip, catching a drop of blood on her tongue.

“You think he cares about you? You think he finds you so special? Then where is he now?!” Vlad growled. “He’s not going to save you.”

Mary once more took notice of the blade in Lizzie’s hand. She watched what little light there was reflect off the metal surface; watched as her own blood steadily dripped off it onto the ground. Upon seeing that, something changed. It was as if a switch in Mary’s mind had been flipped without warning. A sudden urge gripped her, and she felt newfound strength and adrenaline begin to rush through her body. Her mouth twitched as a sinister smile tugged at her lips.

“...He doesn’t have to,” Mary said, eyes shining with dark elation. She then moved her head, glancing at Lizzie first then at Edgar. Her grin widened. “Besides, I believe it’s my turn to spill some blood.”

Edgar’s grip on her faltered for only a moment, but it was enough time for Mary to wrench one hand free. Her fist collided with Edgar’s face once, then again immediately afterwards; the second direct blow knocking the man backwards. Edgar’s other hand immediately released Mary and went to his face, covering the area of impact while he shut his eyes. Mary took the opportunity and lunged for the knife in Lizzie’s hand, holding the girl’s arms in place by the wrists just as Lizzie was bringing the knife down. Lizzie gritted her teeth and thrashed her bound arms from side to side, attempting to shake Mary off. But Mary held her ground, and shoved Lizzie against the brick wall as she stood up.

The shock of the impact caused Lizzie to drop the knife, which clattered onto the ground and narrowly missed grazing her leg. Still attempting to wrestle herself out of Mary’s grip, she twisted her body and reached down, attempting to reclaim the knife. But Mary placed a foot on the blade and once more knocked her into the wall, harder than last time. When Lizzie didn’t attempt to fight back after the second impact with the wall, Mary released her grip on her and reached down to pick up the knife. But Vlad was quicker, and snatched the dagger away from Mary before she could claim it for herself. He drove the blade toward her with a powerful thrust, but she caught his fist before the blade could puncture her.

Mary’s grin was wide as her hands locked with Vlad's, both of them trying to force the other to break. She licked her lips again as more drops of blood dripped down her cheek. Taking a step forward, she dug her heel into Vlad’s foot. He growled from the pain and shoved her away in response, sending her staggering backwards. When he lunged forward once more the knife made contact and tore at Mary’s midsection. The wound produced wasn’t deep, however, so Mary was able to laugh and quickly shake it off. She retaliated Vlad’s attack with a direct blow to his forehead, sending him toppling to the ground.

Before Vlad could manage to get back up, Mary seized the knife from him and plunged the blade deep into his chest. She laughed upon hearing Vlad’s strangled cry of shock and pain, reveling in the priceless wide-eyed look on his face. She stabbed again, watching the blood pour out of the wound, and leaned forward to whisper into Vlad’s ear.

“You desire more money, right?” she whispered. She then twisted the knife, making him cry out again. “More honor? More power?”

Something suddenly shattered against the wall, and Mary cringed from the noise. Bits of glass began to pummel her back like drops of rain during a thunderstorm. When the glass stopped falling, Mary turned her head and glared toward where the glass object had come from. Edgar had found a pile of glass bottles, and was preparing to throw another one at her. Abandoning Vlad, she got up, storming towards Edgar; stopping only once to shield her eyes as another bottle shattered near her feet.

Edgar picked up another bottle and swung at her head, but she swiftly grabbed his wrist in both hands, stopping him before he could strike her. Pulling him closer, Mary collided her head against his. The impact left both of them momentarily stunned, holding their heads as she released her grip, allowing the two of them to separate from each other. The bottle clattered onto the ground and rolled toward Mary’s feet. Noticing this, she picked up the glass object. As Edgar removed his hand from his head, Mary swung the bottle at him. The lower part of the bottle shattered upon impact, leaving sharp, jagged edges along the glass that had remained intact. Edgar staggered backwards only to find his back against the wall. He shook his head as he attempted to recover from the shock, but as he took a step forward, Mary drove what remained of the glass bottle deep into his chest. Blood splattered onto her face, but she remained unfazed by it and roughly pushed Edgar’s body onto the ground.

She wiped her face with one hand, smearing some of the blood, as she turned around and returned to Vlad’s body. She smiled upon seeing that he was (just barely) still alive. Kneeling down beside him, she gripped the handle of the knife and once more leaned forward to whisper in his ear.

“All those things that you desire…” Mary softly sang the haunting lyrics from Absolution with a wide grin on her face. “...You will find it in the fire.” She then abruptly removed the knife from his body and stood up, satisfied with her work. Glancing down at her hand, she gazed at the blood which now stained it.

“...Bloody Mary…” she murmured. “I like it.” She then glanced around at the three bodies lying before her, and suddenly started to laugh. “It’s so funny, isn’t it?!” she asked out loud, looking up toward the moon in the sky. “You guys said I would get what I deserved, but it was you who earned it instead!” She leaned against the wall and continued to laugh, placing her hand on one knee to prevent herself from completely falling over.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoed through the alleyway, and Mary stopped laughing. She frowned and turned her head toward the sound. In the shadows, she could see a figure coming towards her. Glaring at it, she raised the knife. “Who-”

“Drop the knife, Ghuleh. It’s only me.”

Upon hearing Papa’s voice, Mary’s eyes widened and the murderous intentions vanished from her mind; the intense feeling of rapturous euphoria leaving her in the blink of an eye. However, the taste of blood still lingered on her tongue and lips, and she struggled to fight the urge to consume more. Her head suddenly began pounding with a fierce rhythm, and she immediately shut her eyes. She turned away from Emeritus, but could not bring herself to lower the knife. Gritting her teeth, she pointed the blade at him. The sound of his footsteps ceased.

“Look at me!” she yelled. “Look at what I did!” Her grip on the knife tightened. “I did this! I killed them!”

“Yes, so it would seem.” Papa said, as though commenting on the weather.

Mary’s empty hand balled up into a fist. The hand which held the knife trembled. “I… I’ve committed a horrible crime!”

“You most certainly have.”

Mary squeezed her eyes to keep them shut. In both rage and despair, she threw the knife to the ground and got down on her knees. “I deserve the worst punishment you can provide!”

“Oh, definitely.”

She sighed and lowered her head. Her whole body was shaking as she struggled to prevent herself from crying. “P-Papa…” she murmured. “I… I’m so sorry...” A pause, and then she spoke, louder so he could hear her. “Give… give me my sentence.”

The sound of Emeritus’ footsteps grew louder as he came closer to her, taking his time. Every tap of his shoes against the ground was like the ticking of a clock, counting down at an agonizingly slow speed towards the moment he, as jury, judge, and executioner, would ultimately announce her sentence. Banishment was the most common punishment for severe crimes such as senseless murder, but there was also the possibility of being held prisoner in the Tower of Condemnation.

‘You deserve this,’ her mind told her. 

Emeritus was only a few feet away from her...

‘You did something terrible, and now you have to pay for it.’

Closer… Closer…

‘Vlad was right. No one will care that you’re gone. They wouldn’t cry for a seventeen year old girl with strange eyes who committed a meaningless act of violence. All those kind words of theirs were only halfhearted...’

The footsteps stopped.

‘Not even he cares.’

Emeritus knelt down before Mary. He gently placed two fingers under her chin and tilted her head up. “Mary Cantwell…” he began, addressing her by name. He then leaned forward slowly and whispered in her ear. “...I, Papa Emeritus the Third, will not charge you of murder.”

Mary gasped for a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. “You… You don't mean…” She struggled to comprehend what was currently happening. If she had been allowed to have her eyes open, they would have shown a complex mix of relief, surprise, and confusion. Papa cupped her right cheek with his hand.

“Yes, child. You will not receive punishment.”

Silence fell between the two of them as Emeritus helped Mary back onto her feet. Once she was standing again, Mary pulled Papa close and held onto his arm. Burying her face in the black fabric of his suit, she began to sob quietly.

Papa looked down at her with a caring gaze and gently placed a hand on the back of her head. “Now now, Ghuleh, don’t cry. There’s nothing to be ashamed of.” Obedient, Mary pulled her face away, but kept her grip on his arm. She sniffed and rubbed her eyes with one hand. “Do not feel guilty about what you have done. Rather, embrace this victory that has been granted to you.”

With eyes still closed, Mary lifted her head. “Embrace it?” she asked. She then released his arm from her grasp. “But... I killed them. Why would I-” She was quickly cut off when Emeritus placed a finger on her lips.

“I can’t tell you here,” Papa said, his tone now serious. He took his hand off the back of her head. “Not right now. You are hurt, and in need of healing.” He slowly slid his finger off her lips before removing his other hand from her face completely. “Ghuleh, how far are we from your apartment?” he asked.

“...It should be about a ten minute walk from here,” Mary answered. “Without anymore interruptions, that is.”

Papa sighed and shook his head. “Considering your current state, even that's too far of a walk.” He then wrapped one arm around Mary, being careful around the wounds on her shoulders. “Might I suggest an alternative?” Mary nodded her head in reply, and he smiled. Turning his head in the direction he had come from, Papa motioned for something in the darkness to come forward with two fingers. “Annali?”

The cat gracefully bounded out of the shadows and made her way over to her master. She sat down at Papa’s feet and looked up at him, awaiting his next command. The two of them seemed to stare at each other for the longest time before Emeritus nodded his head. He then picked Mary up, holding her with one hand on her back and the other under her knees. 

Surprised, Mary clung to him. “Wh-what are you-”

“Relax, Ghuleh. Annali will be taking us.” He then paused and thought in silence for a moment. “If I'm not mistaken, it’s still room number six-six-six, right?”

Slowly, a smile appeared on Mary’s face. “Certainly hasn't changed since last time,” she said, chuckling.

Emeritus laughed with her for a bit. “That’s good,” he said. He then glanced back at Annali. “Wouldn’t want to transport ourselves to the wrong room, now would we?” His smile disappeared when Annali seemed to give him an impatient glare, thwacking the ground repeatedly with her tail. “Alright, alright, fine! No need to be so anxious,” he sighed. “We have plenty of time.” He looked back down at Mary. “Hold tight, Ghuleh.”

Mary wrapped her arms around his neck, eyes still shut. Despite all that was going on, she wasn’t going to forget his most sacred rule.  
Immediately, she felt a strong, freezing wind hit her, and she gripped Emeritus tighter. Then, almost as soon as the wind had started, it died down and all was quiet once more. 

“Wh-what happened?” Mary asked as Emeritus put her back down. “Where are we?”

“We’re in your apartment,” he replied. “Annali has brought you home."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a heads up: Chapter 4 is most likely going to be EXTREMELY long, so it might take me even longer to write than this one did. Hopefully it shouldn't, as I've already gotten a head start on it. 
> 
> Stay tuned and Hail Ghost! :)


	4. Lascivious

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AND IT'S FINALLY HERE! (On my birthday! Yay!)
> 
> Sorry about the wait everyone. I got really busy with other things while I was trying to write this.
> 
> Thank you to those who bookmarked, subscribed, and left kudos! You all are amazing! :D
> 
> All right, all right. Enough from me. Enjoy reading!

“Annali?” Mary’s tone was one of confusion. “But… but she’s-”

“Not a normal cat,” Emeritus interjected, cutting her off. He gently placed a hand on her back and flicked the light switch with his other hand, lighting up the kitchen and living room areas. He watched Annali as she immediately headed for the sofa in the middle of the living room. “She’s a familiar, Ghuleh.”

Mary raised her eyebrows, but kept her eyes shut despite being surprised. “Really?”

“Indeed. As are the ones owned by my Ghouls.” With an urgent quickness, Papa led her toward one of the other rooms in the apartment. Opening the door, he turned on the light, immediately illuminating the bathroom. He led Mary over to the bathtub. “How do you think I’ve been able to find you no matter where you are? Or constantly appear and disappear in a mere moment?”

Mary thought for a moment as she sat down on the edge of the tub. “...I always thought you were just really good at finding me, and that you would turn into a bat, or something.”

Papa chuckled and shook his head. “No, it’s been Annali who’s been helping me out this entire time.” He then made his way over to one of the small white wall cabinets and opened it, removing two clean washcloths and a roll of bandages.

“So… are you going to go back now?” Mary asked. “To your tower, I mean."

“No.”

“...No?” The confusion was once more present in Mary’s voice. “But... don’t you have other things to do?” She was met with silence and, realizing that what she asked might’ve been rude, quickly added “I-I mean, you must be really busy, being our leader and all...”

Emeritus sat down beside her, placing the rags and bandages next to him. “I am,” he said. He then removed his gloves, dropping them onto the floor before reaching over to close the tub’s drain and turn on the water. “But your well-being has just become my top priority.” He reached out and pulled Mary closer to him. “I care about you, Mary. Deeply. More than you know,” he murmured, speaking close to her ear. His hand gently brushed her hair out of the way and touched her cheek- the one that hadn’t been cut. “Please, promise me that you won’t forget that.”

Mary turned her head in Papa’s direction as he lowered his hand. Smiling, she traced an ‘X’ over where her heart was. “I promise.”

A smile returned to Emeritus’ face, and he closed his eyes. “...Thank you,” he whispered.

The two of them remained motionless and silent for a moment before Emeritus’ eyes suddenly snapped back open. He pulled away from Mary, reaching over to turn off the water. After twisting the knob, he returned to his original position and clapped his hands twice; the loud noise echoing in the small room. “Now then!” he declared, no longer speaking in a whisper. “Let us not waste anymore time and have a better look at these wounds.”

Mary nodded and proceeded to undo the buttons on her shirt. The dark pope carefully helped her out of it, dropping the tattered article of clothing onto the floor after pulling the shirt off her shoulders. Upon seeing her wounds, he sucked in a breath and grimaced slightly. The cuts and gashes decorated Mary’s upper body with glistening red lines, almost resembling crimson spider webs plastered onto her pale skin.

Emeritus reached out and gently held Mary’s arm in both hands as if she were an antique doll that required careful handling lest she suddenly break and fall apart. “...Stackars liten…,” he murmured, shaking his head. He then reached over and grabbed one of the washcloths and, after dipping it into the water that had collected in the tub, lightly pressed the rag against the cut near her wrist and began wiping the blood off. After cleaning the area around the wound, he put the washcloth down and grabbed the roll of bandages. He wrapped the gauze around the wound, tore it off the roll, then put down the bandages and picked up the washcloth again. He began to do the same thing to the other wounds on her body, starting with the one on her bicep, then the gashes near her collarbone, and finally the cuts on her stomach. His eyes were focused and his hands worked diligently, cleaning and bandaging the injured areas in silence. 

“...Papa?”

“Hm?” Emeritus tore the bandage from the roll after placing it on her stomach and stopped, raising his head to look at Mary. “What is it?” he asked.

Mary hesitated before speaking up, unsure about why she was suddenly slightly nervous. “...During my walk, I… I did what you suggested to me earlier tonight.”

Emeritus tilted his head slightly to the side. “You thought things over once more?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“...And?” There was eagerness in Emeritus’ voice. “What have you decided?”

Mary took a deep breath, calming herself. “Honestly, I think I’m the only one in Meliora who will actually be willing to help you and the Ghouls with whatever task you need assistance with…” She paused when she felt Papa move closer to her and place the wet washcloth on her shoulder, next to the wound. “...So I’ve decided I’ll accept the permission and help you.” She turned her head towards him once more, making sure to keep her eyes shut. “I’m sure I can handle it,” she added, speaking reassuringly.

A smile appeared on Papa’s face, and he gently gripped her chin. He took the washcloth off her shoulder, despite the fact that he hadn’t clean the wound, and tenderly wiped the cut on her cheek, cleaning up her face. “Yes, I’m most certain you can,” he said, adding a quiet laugh at the end. After applying a bandage to Mary’s face, he stood up slightly, holding Mary’s head in place with both hands. At that moment, he took notice of how her bangs fell over her forehead, obscuring the pale skin while hovering just above her closed eyes, which had long, full eyelashes that were not covered in makeup; and how soft the subtle curls in her chocolate brown hair looked, hovering just above her shoulders. “...Thank you, Ghuleh,” he whispered. He parted her bangs slightly, exposing her forehead to him. “I knew I could count on you to make the right decision.” He then quietly exhaled, and leaned forward slowly, closing his eyes.

The kiss he placed on her forehead was soft, lasting for no more than a few seconds.

It took Mary a moment to realize what Papa had just done, and when she did she gasped; her hands gripping the edge of the tub as Emeritus took his lips off her, opened his eyes, and sat back down.

“You… You just-! W-why did you-” Blood rushed to her cheeks, and her face suddenly felt as if it was burning.

Papa’s grin widened upon seeing her reaction, and he chuckled again. “Is it wrong for me to show my gratitude?” he asked.

“W-well, no, but still…!” Mary paused when she once more felt Papa touch her cheek. “...You kissed me…”

“A kiss can mean many things, Ghuleh.” Emeritus lowered his hand and picked up the rag, dipping it into the water in the tub. He then went to work cleaning one of the cuts along her right arm. “It can be a sign of respect...” He put the rag down and grabbed the bandages. “kindness…” He applied a bandage to the wound, tore it off the roll, then lifted his head to gaze at Mary. “...love…” His hands suddenly stopped, and his tone became serious.

“Mary,” he said. “Will you answer this question I'm about to ask you?”

Mary straightened herself, suddenly at attention. “Y-yes, Papa.”

“Will you answer it honestly?”

“Of course!”

Emeritus put down the roll of bandages, then reached out and grabbed Mary’s hands. His fingers interlocked with hers, and he squeezed her palms gently. 

“Mary... my little älskling...” he murmured. “...Do you love me?”

“Wh-what?!” Mary flinched slightly, startled by the question. Remembering his rule, she squeezed her eyes shut to prevent herself from opening them.

“Do you love me?” Papa repeated, still using the same tone as the first time he had asked her the question.

“I…” Mary’s throat suddenly felt dry, and she swallowed thickly.

She thought long and hard about her answer. Did she love him? If she truly did, it would definitely explain why she was blushing and why her body felt so warm right now. Thinking back, she realized that she always felt happy whenever she was in his presence. Hearing his accented voice often made her feel giddy inside. And she did like it when Papa touched her and called her ‘Ghuleh’...But did that really mean she loved Emeritus? The more she thought about it, the more she realized… 

“I…” Mary took a breath to compose herself. “Yeah, I do,” she finally said, nodding her head. “I honestly think I do.” She squeezed Papa’s hands tightly. “I don’t know what you look like exactly, or how old you are, and I honestly don't care. All I know is that I love being with you and that you make me feel happy whenever you're with me.” She moved an inch closer to him. “You… feel the same way?” she asked. “It doesn’t matter to you that I’m only seventeen?”

A smile appeared on Papa’s face. “Ghuleh,” he cooed. The dark pope brought her hands to his chest, placing them in a way so that he was sure she could feel his heartbeat through the fabric of his suit. “Would I have asked you the question if I did not truly have these feelings for you?” He laid one hand on the back of her head and leaned closer to her, making their foreheads touch. “And age does not matter to me, as it shouldn't for you. It is simply a number.” He placed another kiss on her forehead, between her closed eyes, but it was longer than the last one.

Emeritus exhaled softly as he took his lips off her and smiled, closing his eyes. “...Min älskling,” he sighed. “We’ve both hidden these feelings from each other for so long…” He then pulled back, and helped Mary stand up. “No more of that. I want you to demonstrate your affection for me.” He leisurely ran his index finger over her partially open lips with his other hand, feeling how the air softly left her in soft, quiet breaths. “Ghuleh, please. Kiss me.”

“Papa…” Slowly, Mary took her hands off Papa’s chest and reached up, wrapping her arms around his neck. She pulled him closer to her, letting her soft lips nuzzle against his. She was excited, and shuddered at the thought of what Emeritus, this kind yet imposing man of authority, could do to her and let her do to him. But alas, she was also nervous, and quickly drew back before Papa could get the chance to claim her mouth with his.

“It’s all right, Mary,” he murmured. “Don’t be afraid.”

Those kind words of encouragement were enough to reinvigorate Mary, and she leaned forward once more to kiss him. Lips meeting lips, they closed the gap between them. 

She moaned into the kiss, immediately allowing Papa to dominate her. His tongue parted her lips and began exploring her mouth, running over her teeth, gums, and tongue. He seemed both fervid and gentle as he kissed her, constantly switching back and forth between kissing her roughly and kissing her softly. 

One of her hands trailed up his neck, tracing upward with two fingers until she could finally grasp his hair. The locks on his head, whatever color they were (she did not know), felt soft and silky as she wove her fingers through them; gripping them tightly as their lips and tongues moved against each other in a sudden, newfound state of heated passion.

Emeritus gently rocked Mary back and forth as he kissed her. His hand snaked down her bare back, lazily rubbing her in long, slow, back and forth motions. Some of the blood that was still dripping from Mary’s shoulders got onto his fingers and palm, smearing the crimson color over her skin like bright red paint being painted onto a blank canvas.

Mary gasped as Papa suddenly pulled away from her, granting them both the ability to breathe. Her grip on his hair loosened, and for a while the only sound that could be heard in the room was their panting as the two of them attempted to catch their breath.

“...Oh…wow...,” Mary moaned. Her hand slowly trailed back down Papa’s neck and rested at his shoulder. “P-Papa, you’re such a good kisser…”

Emeritus smiled and opened his eyes slowly, looking down at the girl before him with an affectionate gaze. “Did you enjoy that, Ghuleh?” he murmured, beginning to pet her head once again.

“Yes…” Mary leaned forward again, brushing her lips against his once more. But before their lips could meet, Emeritus pulled away from her. She whimpered upon being denied the chance to get another kiss, and gripped the black fabric of Papa’s suit. “Papa…!” she whined.

“Shh, Ghuleh.” He made both of them sit back down on the edge of the tub. “I know you want more, and I will give it to you, but first I need to finish cleaning these last few wounds.” His smile then disappeared and his tone became serious again. “Can you be patient and wait until then?” he asked.

Mary’s grasp on him lingered for a moment before she finally decided to release him. “Okay…” she sighed, lowering her head. She began to back away slightly in order to give Papa the room he would need to continue, but he suddenly shifted the location of his hand on her back, making her stop.  
Emeritus leaned forward once again.

“You’re so good to me, Ghuleh,” he sighed, his smile returning. He began planting light kisses along Mary’s neck, moving down from below her earlobe to her collarbone. Afterwards, he pulled back and picked up the rag he had been using earlier, proceeding to clean the blood off of Mary’s shoulder. “I’m glad that-”

Papa paused when a strange, sickly sweet smell suddenly wafted up his nose. “...That…” He inhaled the scent again, and his body suddenly tensed up. 

The scent… It was Mary’s blood.

“This… This fragrance…” A breathless whisper left Emeritus’ lips, and he shuddered. “It’s… so…” The aroma of her blood was strong, and his mouth suddenly began to water. It was as if some long-forgotten animalistic instinct within him was beginning to reawaken. He dropped the rag, gripped Mary’s shoulders with a sudden fierceness, and leaned closer to the open wound which glistened with crimson. He inhaled deeply, and shuddered again, moaning this time. “I must… have some...” he whispered. But before his lips could touch the blood-covered skin, he gasped and suddenly drew back, shutting his eyes tightly. “No… No, I can’t…!” He groaned loudly and took his hands off Mary, clutching his stomach as he turned away from her, panting. “Oh, Lucifer, give me strength to resist…!”

Boldly, Mary inched closer to Emeritus. “P-Papa, what’s wrong?!” she asked.

“I… I mustn’t indulge! No, not before the ritual…!”

Mary reached out towards Papa, her hands fumbling until she could finally grasp his arm. She gasped quietly. “Y-you’re trembling!” she exclaimed. “Are you-” She cried out when Emeritus abruptly wrenched his arm out of her grasp. “Papa!”

Emeritus turned his head away from Mary, covering his nose and mouth with one hand. Still groaning, he gripped the edge of the tub and leaned forward, coughing and gasping for breath.

Mary’s hands balled up into fists. She wanted to open her eyes so badly and help Papa, but she knew she couldn’t - he hadn’t given her permission.

“G-Ghuleh…!”

Hearing Papa call her, Mary stood up slightly. “Yes?”

A few more strangled gasps came from Emeritus before he attempted to speak. “I… I need you to help me forget that smell…” he heaved.

Mary furrowed her brows in confusion. “Forget the smell?” she repeated. “Of my blood?”

“Yes!”

“But… but how?!”

“J-just find something! Anything with a strong fragrance!

By now Mary was standing fully upright. She began to take a step forward, but quickly stopped herself. “...But how will I find anything if my eyes are-”

“I will let you keep your eyes open!” Emeritus said, interrupting Mary before she could finish her question. “Just don’t look at me!” He cracked his eyes open and, seeing that Mary still hadn’t moved, gritted his teeth. “Please hurry, Mary!” he cried, shutting his eyes again. His hands gripped the sides of his head. “B-...Before I go mad…!”

“O-okay!” Mary lowered her head and opened her eyes, forcing herself to stare at the pale blue square tiles of the bathroom floor as she walked towards the sink. Once she got to the sink, she immediately began to open and close the small drawers that were nearby, fighting the urge to glance at the mirror in front of her.

One drawer only had two hairbrushes and a hair drier. She quickly closed that one. Another had small bottles of soap and lotion. Mary took two (one soap and one lotion), opened them, and took a whiff of each. But they weren’t strong enough, and she was forced to put them back. A third drawer contained various beauty products. Mary was about to close this drawer when she suddenly spotted a bottle of perfume tucked between a few bottles of nail polish. Grabbing it, she spritzed some of the perfume onto her hand and sniffed it. It strongly smelled of roses with a slight hint of peppermint.

Perfect.

Lowering her head once more, Mary turned and hurried back toward the bathtub, sitting down next to Emeritus. She closed her eyes and turned towards him, holding out the perfume bottle.

“Here, Papa,” she said. “Use this. It should help.”

Emeritus, however, did not take the bottle from her. “You do it,” he groaned.

Mary once more had a look of confusion on her face. “...Me?”

“I can’t.” Papa’s hands grasped the edge of the tub again. “This craving… it’s too much…” He hissed a breath and gripped the edge of the bathtub tighter. “Please… just hurry, Ghuleh.”

Mary hesitated for a moment before raising the perfume bottle slightly. She spritzed it twice in Papa’s direction, filling the air with the minty, flowery smell.

The effect was immediate: Emeritus’ moaning and shaking subsided, and his breathing became less erratic. His grip on the edge of the tub loosened, and he returned to sitting up straight.

“...Thank you, Ghuleh,” he sighed, a relieved smile appearing on his face. Papa ran his fingers through his hair, smoothing it back. “That could’ve been disastrous.” He picked up the rag he had dropped earlier, dipped it into the water, and began to wipe off the blood that had gotten onto his hands. “Still, it might happen again, so I suggest that you have that bottle ready.” After cleaning all the blood off, Papa turned toward Mary. “Can you do that for me?” he asked.

Mary smiled and nodded her head. “Of course, Papa,” she said.

Emeritus’ smile widened, and he dipped the washcloth into the water once more. “Good,” he said. “Now let’s clean up those last few wounds.”

****  
It took a few more tries, but eventually Emeritus was able to clean and bandage the remaining wounds without completely losing control.

Papa put the washcloths and bandages away, and picked his gloves up off the floor. “Now then, with that out of the way, why don’t you go change into something more comfortable?” he asked, helping Mary stand up.

Mary nodded her head and smiled as she turned and headed for the door, keeping her eyes open so she could see where she was going. However, as she walked, Emeritus stayed behind her, putting his gloves back on, and she was tempted to turn around to get a look at him. But every time, she recalled Papa’s rule and forced herself to keep looking forward.

When they arrived at her bedroom door, they stopped. Mary placed her hand on the doorknob, but she did not turn it to open the door. Instead, she closed her eyes and turned to face Papa. Emeritus wasn’t exactly sure what kind of face Mary was making at him, but it seemed to him like she was making an attempt to glare at him with closed eyes.

“If you come in here…” Mary’s tone sounded threatening. “And peek while I’m changing…”

“Ghuleh!” Papa laughed for a moment. “You know me better than that!” He then ceased laughing and placed a hand on his chest, smiling with an accused look on his face. “I would do nothing of the sort!”

“Mmhm,” she replied. Her tone implied that she didn’t fully believe him. “Suuure. Says ‘The One Lascivious’.” She then turned the doorknob and went inside her room, closing the door quickly behind her.

Papa watched the door close before he turned and headed for the sofa, where Annali was still lying down, observing him. However, he had only walked a couple steps before he suddenly stopped. He looked back toward the door Mary had gone through, a look of confusion showing on his face.

“‘The One Lascivious’?” he repeated, mumbling under his breath. Sure, he knew very well just how lustful he was at times, but no one in Meliora, not even his Ghouls, referred to him by that name. It was a title that had been given to his predecessor, and the Infestissumam era of Papa Emeritus the Second, including everything that had been created during that time, should have been long-forgotten by now. Papa narrowed his eyes. “Now, Ghuleh, how in the name of Belial do you know that?” he murmured, making his way back towards the bedroom door.

As Papa got closer to the door, he began to hear something. At first, he couldn’t identify what it was, but after a moment he realized that it was singing. And it wasn’t the voice of a singer coming from a record that was being played. Mary was singing.

 

“Unholy  
Is the lust in your eyes  
‘Blasphemous’  
Would not suffice...”

 

She was singing without any music playing in the background, allowing Papa to hear her quite clearly. As he listened, he nodded his head in approval. She was good, singing the song with a nice alto range.

 

“Perverted  
Are your wishes and dreams…”

 

Mary’s singing suddenly switched to humming in the middle of the verse, then whistling as she got to the refrain of the song.

Papa raised his hand slightly and lightly knocked on the door with three taps, causing the whistling to abruptly stop. “Ghuleh…”

“D-don’t come in!” came the startled voice from behind the door.

Papa chuckled. “I won’t. I just wanted to ask what song you were singing.”

There was silence for a moment before Mary spoke. “Oh! You were listening? Um…” She paused, trying to remember. “I think it’s…” Another pause. “Per… Aspera…Aspera…Ugh! I can’t remember!”

Emeritus raised his eyebrows. “Per Aspera ad Inferi?” he asked.

Mary’s voice became cheerful. “Yes! That’s it!” she exclaimed. It then changed to a thoughtful tone. “But it’s strange…”

Papa tilted his head to the side. “What’s strange?”

“Well, besides you, I seem to be the only citizen in Meliora who knows that song,” she answered. “Everyone else seems to have never heard it before! They act like it never even existed!”

“Oh…” was all Papa said in reply. He then glanced at Annali again, making eye contact with the cat before walking away from the door towards the kitchen area.

“Yes, Ghuleh, it is strange,” he mumbled under his breath. He then smiled. “But not to me.” Emeritus glanced back at the closed door once more as he opened one of the kitchen cabinets and took out a mug. “Don’t worry. In time, you will come to understand why.”

*****  
Keeping her head down, Mary opened her bedroom door and stepped out. She was now dressed in a simple pair of plain, black pajamas. Staring at the floor, she made her way over to the couch and sat down, smiling when Annali walked over and sat down beside her. Mary reached out and gently began to pet the cat’s head, slowly leaning back into the couch cushions at the same time. 

The girl sighed. She was so glad that it was a Friday, as it meant that her sister wouldn’t be home anytime soon. By now, Esther was probably spending her money elsewhere, possibly watching something at the city’s theater, Meliora Grand.

“So, Annali,” Mary said, speaking in a hushed voice so that only the cat could hear her. “...Can you talk?”

The siamese looked up at her with its mismatched eyes, blinked, but said nothing. She gracefully leaped off the sofa onto the floor just as Papa walked over and sat down, placing two steaming cups onto the coffee table in front of them.

Mary’s eyes widened, and she grabbed the mug that was closest to her. “P-Papa, you didn't have to do this!” she exclaimed. She then glanced at the other steaming cup. “And if you wanted tea, I could've made it for you myself…”

“After everything you've been through tonight?” Emeritus looked over at Mary and gently placed one hand on her shoulder, placing his other hand on his chest. “Honestly, Ghuleh, I think this is the least I could do to show my gratitude for you agreeing to help us.” His smile widened, and there was a sudden twinkle in his eyes. “Well... besides that kiss I gave you earlier,” he added.

Mary blushed slightly and smiled, still looking down at the white piece of china in her hands. She knew that Vlad and everyone else had been wrong. Emeritus wasn’t heartless in any way. “...Well then,” she sighed. “Thank you, Papa.”

She closed her eyes and raised the cup of tea, bringing it toward her lips with both hands. But before Mary could even take a sip, Papa moved his hand, placing it on her left wrist. “Wait,” he commanded. “Don’t drink it just yet.” Mary obeyed and lowered her cup as Papa took his hand off her, reaching into his pocket. After producing a small, packaged object from his pocket, he grabbed Mary’s left hand, letting go after placing the object into her open palm. “Go ahead,” Papa said, grabbing the other cup off the table. “Look at it.”

Mary put her cup down and looked at the object Emeritus had placed in her hand. It was small, and was wrapped in plastic wrap. Upon closer examination, Mary realized what was in the plastic wrap, and her eyes narrowed.

“...Pills?” she asked, confusion present in her voice.

Emeritus took a sip of his tea. “Not just any pills,” he remarked. The dark pope crossed his legs and glanced over at her. “You are familiar with the Remedium drug, I presume?” he asked, gesturing towards the two pills in the plastic wrap with his cup.

“I’ve... heard of it,” Mary replied, still looking down at the pills she was holding. “But I don’t exactly know what it does. Esther always told me to never buy any, but she never explained to me why.” She paused, and furrowed her brow. “...Is it safe?”

“Perfectly,” Papa immediately answered, reassuring her. He took another sip from his cup. “It’s supposed to speed up the body’s natural healing process, and it works best when taken with a hot drink.”

Mary glanced at her still-steaming cup. “Oh, so that’s why you made me the tea?” she asked.

“Precisely.”

Emeritus watched as Mary began to tear open the plastic wrap. “The drug is quite strong, however, so I think just one should be enough for now,” he said.

Mary nodded and removed one pill from the wrapper. After popping it into her mouth, she drank some of the tea and swallowed. A moment passed without any changes occurring, but after a while Mary felt an odd tingling sensation on her hands, which quickly began to spread up her arms to her shoulders. When she felt it on her face, her hand flew to the bandage on her cheek and rested there. “P-Papa, I-!”

“Feel numb?” He sipped his tea again. “Good. That means the drug’s working. Keep drinking your tea, and do it quickly.”

Mary obeyed without asking anymore questions, carefully taking small sips of the hot drink while trying to to avoid burning her tongue. When she finally finished, she put her cup down and sighed, closing her eyes as she once more leaned into the cushions. Silence fell between them again, the only sound that could be heard in the room being the ticking of a nearby clock. After a moment, Papa’s voice broke the silence.

“Has the numbing stopped anywhere?” he asked.

Mary sat back up. She could still feel the tingling sensation along her arms, shoulders, and mid-section, but she could no longer feel it on her hands and face. Telling this to Emeritus, he put down his cup, moved closer to her, and slowly peeled the bandage off her cheek, revealing perfect, smooth skin with not a single trace of injury.

“Just as I thought,” he said, placing the gauze on the table. “It would work much quicker with the shallower wounds.” He then pulled away and glanced at the clock on the wall. “The others should heal pretty soon.”

A meow caught Papa’s attention, and he glanced at a nearby chair that was to his left, where Annali was sitting and staring at him. “What is it?” he asked, unsure as to why the siamese was glaring at him. The two of them stared at each other in silence for only a moment, with Annali thwacking her tail against the seat.

Emeritus raised his eyebrows. “What? No, no! I haven't forgotten!” he said, as if someone had spoken to him. He turned back toward Mary and clapped his hands twice, causing the girl to sit up straight, at attention. “Ghuleh, you remember how I told you that you shouldn’t have felt guilty after killing those three people, earlier?”

Mary immediately nodded her head in reply. “Yeah. Why did you tell me that?” she asked. The girl gave a barely audible gasp when she felt Papa gently grasp her hand.

“Well, it’ll be easier to explain now that you’ve actually agreed to provide your assistance,” he said. “Basically, in order to help us to the best of your ability, we need you to be willing to commit sins, and to not be ashamed while executing those wrongdoings. That includes killing.” Emeritus looked down at her. “You think you can manage?”

Mary remained silent for a moment, then spoke. “It’ll be difficult, but…” She sighed and nodded her head. “If you need me to do that, I’m sure I’ll be able to.”

Papa smiled and ruffled Mary’s hair. “Good girl,” he whispered. He leaned forward to give her a kiss, but suddenly stopped when he noticed Annali pawing at the fringe on a blanket that was on the chair she had just been sitting on. There appeared to be something hidden underneath. Curious, he got up and walked over. “...Now what have we here?”

Realizing where Papa was, Mary gasped and her eyes snapped open. She stared at the wall in front of her with a panic-stricken face to avoid looking at him and breaking his rule.

“D-don’t look under the-!” 

But before Mary could finish her sentence, Emeritus whipped the blanket off the chair, revealing a closed book. She shut her eyes and gave a groan that was full of dread as Papa picked up the book, studying its cover as he made his way back toward the sofa.

“‘Over the Speaker’” Papa read the title of the novel as he sat back down. “...Interesting…” He opened the book and began to read through the first few pages.

With every sound of a turning page, Mary wanted to just disappear more and more. She hadn’t wanted Papa to find that book. But now he had...

“I myself have not read this.” Emeritus’ voice suddenly broke the silence that had fallen between them. “Tell me, Ghuleh, what’s this book about?”

Mary did not reply. She whimpered quietly and turned away from him.

“Are you scared to tell me?” he asked. When Mary gave him a silent nod, he chuckled. “Why, whatever for? It’s just a book, Ghuleh.”

Mary sighed and straightened herself. She guessed that a simple explanation wouldn’t hurt… “It’s a romance novel, uh… about this girl… Sophie. That’s her name.” She paused and moistened her lips, which suddenly felt dry. “She… she gets this job as an intern for a major business owner named Maxwell Grandeur, and... over time…”

Papa listened intently. “...Yes?” he asked, urging her on.

Mary bit her lip and wrung her hands. “...Over time… She… She develops… feelings for him.” Done with her explanation, she took a deep breath and exhaled loudly.

“See, that’s wasn’t so hard!” Emeritus then stopped reading and began to thumb through the book without looking at the words. “Say, how old is Sophie?”

“She’s, uh… She’s nineteen.”

“I see…” Papa stopped turning the pages and began to read the text a little more, starting at a random point on a random page in the middle of the novel. “And Mr. Grandeur?”

Mary moistened her lips again. “...Thirty…” she answered. An awkward moment of silence fell between them before Mary suddenly gave a nervous giggle and opened her eyes, staring at the ceiling. “Kinda like our new relationship, huh?” she asked.

Papa laughed with her, but for not as long. “Yes, kind of like ours,” he agreed. He then paused, and a look of confusion began to appear on his face. His eyes narrowed. “Ghuleh…” he said. “Why is this particular quote circled?”

Mary’s smile disappeared. “...On which... page?” she asked, worry now present in her voice.

Papa glanced at the page number. “One hundred twenty-six,” he answered.

Immediately, Mary’s eyes widened. “...Uh...” Crap. He had gotten to the one part she didn’t want him to read. She tried to come up with an excuse as she heard him turn the page. “I-it’s circled...b-because…”

Papa glanced at the two sides of the next page. “Both sides of this page are crossed out…”

“I-I didn't like that part,” Mary said, immediately trying to defend herself.

“...And why are the names suddenly crossed out… and replaced with ours?”

“...B-because I…! Uh...well… I-in that scene-!” Mary abruptly stopped talking. She couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence.

Emeritus’ eyes scanned the pages, reading the text thoroughly. After reading one particular paragraph, he raised his eyebrows, finally understanding what had Mary so flustered.

The book contained smut.

This, however, didn’t bother him in the slightest, and he continued on, nodding his head as he read the erotic content. One sentence in particular was a bit of a turn on for him, and he bit down on the smallest digit of his hand through his glove, trying to suppress a moan. However, just as he was about to turn the page, Mary’s hand flew out and clumsily smacked the book out of his hand. Emeritus’ eyes immediately went wide, and he removed his finger from his mouth as the book tumbled to the floor, surprised at the sudden aggression Mary had displayed (he was also quite impressed that she had managed to land a direct hit on her intended target with her eyes closed). The dark pope blinked a couple times to recover from the shock, then pouted like a dissatisfied child.

“Aw, Ghuleh! I was just getting to the good part!” he exclaimed, throwing his hands up into the air.

“No!” Mary yelled. “I can’t let you read any more!” But upon realizing what Papa had said, her anger quickly subsided and turned into a mixture of shock, confusion, and relief. “W-wait… you mean you actually enjoyed it?!”

“It was quite a fascinating read.” Emeritus put his hands down and smiled. “Yes, quite intriguing, I must say.” He then reached over and grabbed Mary’s arms, pulling her close to sit in his lap with her back facing him. He gently nuzzled his lips against the back of her neck, trailing light kisses up her burning skin in soft, quick pecks. When he reached her ear he stopped and grazed his teeth against the earlobe, causing Mary to gasp softly and shudder. As he did this over and over, Papa placed a hand at her side and traced it up along her body, feeling her curves and edges as his fingers went up to her face, where they stopped to stroke her cheek. Taking his mouth off her ear, he smiled.

“How about this,” he whispered, still caressing her face. “You let me finish reading that love scene, and when I'm done I'll help you fulfill that lustful desire of yours that you've been precariously hiding from everyone all this time.” He then leaned in so close to her that Mary swore she could feel the heat of his breath on her ear as he suddenly spoke to her in a husky tone. “What do you think about that, älskling?” he asked.

Mary shuddered as impure thoughts began invading her mind. She shut her eyes tighter, lolling her head back against Papa’s shoulder as a moan left her. She unconsciously grinded against him, causing his smile to widen as he clenched his teeth together. “Oooh, you'd like that,” he growled. Eyes clouding with lust, he wrapped an arm around Mary’s hips, pinning her against him, and brought one hand to her waist as he began to reciprocate the action. “You'd like that very much, you sinful girl.”

Mary opened her mouth to say something, but only whimpers left her as Papa continued to hold her in place, slowly grinding against her. The bulge forming in the front of his pants was rubbing against the most scandalous part of her body. Nibbling her lower lip, she began to move above him, trying to match his agonizingly slow pace; the strain through layers of clothes forcing groans out of both of them. 

Papa's hands clawed at her hips as he suddenly moved faster. His quickening thrusts caused Mary’s voice to waver, increasing in volume while coming out as nothing but gasps, whines, and whimpers. “P-Papa…!” She cried out his name after one particularly rough thrust, and Emeritus suddenly slowed down his movements until he came to a stop, despite neither of them having an orgasm yet.

Mary gave a dissatisfied whimper. “P-Papa, no…!” she pleaded. “Don’t stop already!” She paused when she felt Papa pick her up and lay her back down on the couch. “W-we haven’t even-!”

“I just told you,” Emeritus interjected, walking over to pick up the book. “You’ll get what you want after I finish reading this.” Picking the novel up off the floor, he sat back down on the sofa and found the page he had been on earlier. “You promised you would be patient, remember?”

Mary gave a defeated sigh and leaned into the couch pillows. The girl tried to relax, but she was still aroused from the earlier session, and every time she heard Papa turn a page it made her want to open her eyes, tear the book out of his hands, and force him to take her. She didn't, however, and instead bit down on her lip, trying to be forbearing like Papa wanted her to. But the ache between her legs made it too difficult, and she suddenly found herself placing her palm against her own crotch through her pajama pants, rubbing herself gently. But the light touch wasn’t enough, and she pressed harder against her sex, whimpering softly and curling her toes as the fabric rubbed against her clit.

A slap against her thigh made her cry out, tense up, and stop abruptly. Her eyes shot open, but quickly closed a split-second later as she once more recalled that crucial rule.

“No, Mary.” Papa’s voice was stern. “No touching.” A smile then tugged at his lips. “Not yet, at least. Wait just a little bit longer, please.”

Mary took her hand out from between her legs and groaned. She still had to wait?! The wait for her was already unbearable! Papa must’ve known (surely he must!) how horny she was right now. Why couldn’t he hurry up?! Her hands clenched into fists, and she gritted her teeth as she pressed her legs together and moved them, trying to generate some much-needed friction… When she suddenly felt hands delicately touch her shoulders, making her stop.

“...Ghuleh.” Papa’s beautiful, heavily accented voice sounded like an auditory miracle to Mary’s ears. “I’m done reading.”

Finally!

A smile returned to Mary’s face as she sat up. “...Well?” she asked. “How was it?”

“Oh, it was good.” Papa removed his gloves, then snaked his hands down from Mary’s shoulders to her hips. He brought his face close to hers and placed a light kiss on her lips. “...But it’ll be nowhere near as good as the time we’re about to have, will it?” He chuckled and grabbed the waistband of her pajama pants. “May I?” he asked.

Her mouth curved upward in a smile, Mary gave a sigh and nodded. “Yes, I… I can’t wait any longer…” she murmured, pleading with him. “Papa, please...just take them off for me…”

Emeritus did not hesitate to do as she wished. He pulled down on her pants, removing her underwear along with them. Upon seeing how soaked the pair of panties were, he moaned softly.

“You’re already so wet for me,” he murmured. He began to stroke her clit with one finger, and laughed darkly when she immediately gasped from his touch. “You, my sinful child, will be easy to please.” Emeritus then moved his hand down and pushed two fingers in between her folds. He inhaled deeply upon feeling how wet she was inside, and grinned when Mary cried out in a loud voice from the sensation. The girl pressed the back of her head against the armrest of the couch as she arched her back. “Oohhh, yes…” Papa moaned, beginning to move his fingers. “So very sinful indeed…” He then leaned forward, burying his face in her crotch, and began to lap his tongue against her clit as his fingers continued to move.

Mary gasped as the warmth and wetness made contact with her. Her hands fumbled for Papa’s hair, gripping the locks tightly once she had found them, and pressed his face against her, urging him on. She kept her eyes closed, focusing only on what she could hear and feel. The sensation of his tongue against her bud and slit felt incredible; way better than how she had imagined it would be in her head. Already, she was practically writhing in bliss while making sounds she didn’t even know she could make.

“P-Papa, you’re so- O-ohhh!” Her grip on Papa’s hair tightened when he sucked long and hard on one of her folds. After a moment, he released her with a small gasp, and gave the other fold the same treatment a short time later. He then removed his fingers from inside her, and Mary whimpered at the loss.

“Wh… Why did you sto-?!” A loud gasp left her lips and stopped Mary in the middle of her sentence. Papa’s tongue was now inside her, moving back and forth between her folds. Her body clenched and throbbed as he tasted her arousal and moaned against her cunt, causing vibrations to buzz through her, further adding to the stimulus.

As Emeritus worked his tongue inside her, an odd sensation was building up deep within her body. Was this… an orgasm? Being a virgin, Mary didn’t exactly know if it was or wasn’t. Her only knowledge of sexual intercourse came from the books she would read when she was alone.

“Papa, I… I think I’m gonna-!” But that was as far as she got before her walls suddenly contracted and a loud wail escaped past her lips. Her entire body shivered as she came.

Papa’s hands reached out and tightly gripped Mary’s thighs as her heat spilled onto his face; moaning as he lapped it up eagerly.

When Mary finally stopped bucking and shivering, she finally let go of Papa’s hair. Emeritus pulled his face away from her cunt, breathing heavily with dazed, half-lidded eyes. His lips shimmered with her arousal, and he sighed as he licked his upper lip to taste more of her cum.

“Ghuleh…” he whispered. He leaned forward and kissed the girl on her lips. “That was beautiful.”

Mary was panting as Papa helped her sit up. “We… We’re not... We're not done yet, are we…?” she asked, a hint of disappointment present in her voice.  
Papa brought the girl closer to him, embracing her loosely. He smiled. “Oh no, älskling,” he said, petting her head. His voice seemed to have deepened slightly. “We're just getting started.”

Mary gave an excited giggle before attempting to kiss him. After missing his mouth the first time, their lips found each other. When they kissed this time, neither of them held back. There was sucking of lips, biting of lips, licking of lips, and moaning as the two of them displayed their passion without any guilt or regrets.

As they kissed, Mary trailed a hand up Papa’s thigh to the bulge in the front of his trousers. She gently caressed his erection through the fabric, earning a sigh from Emeritus as the kiss broke. 

“...You want to touch it?” he whispered. The dark pope smiled when Mary nodded in reply, and soon undid his pants, pulling them partially down to expose his hardened cock. He then grabbed hold of Mary’s wrist, guiding her hand toward his length. 

However, just before her fingertips could touch the sensitive flesh, she abruptly pulled back out of his grasp.

“...Ghuleh?” Papa asked. “What’s wrong?”

But Mary was still smiling at him, eyes closed. “Nothing…” she answered. She then brought her hand to her mouth and licked it with her tongue from her wrist to her fingertips, covering her hand in saliva. After ensuring that it was wet enough, she reached out and grabbed his dick, beginning to move her hand up and down at a slow pace.

Emeritus groaned and shut his eyes as the wet sound of skin-on-skin echoed in the apartment room. He gripped Mary’s hair tightly and held her close, whispering sweet nothings into her ear.

“Y-yes…” he murmured, encouraging her on. “Yes… that’s it…” His hips bucked unevenly whenever she brushed against his head, the jolts becoming more frequent as the movement of her hand quickened. Moaning, he put his mouth on the top of Mary’s ear, licking it with his tongue and grazing the skin with his teeth. This made the young girl groan, and her grip on him tightened. When he took his mouth off her ear, the two of them went back to kissing as Mary began to properly jerk him off at a faster pace; their lips and tongues clashing almost ravenously.

With a gasp for air, Papa pulled away. “I… I’m close…” he groaned, gripping Mary’s hair. His eyes snapped open when he felt Mary stop and roughly grab the fabric of his suit near the collar.

“Then take me,” she demanded, determination present in her voice. “Take me, Papa. Right now.”

At that moment, it was as if a switch had flipped in Papa’s mind. He grabbed Mary’s hips, moving her so that his cock was positioned at her entrance. He teased her a few times, prodding her folds with his tip before slowly lowering her onto his girth. They both groaned loudly as they joined together, with Emeritus digging his nails into Mary’s hips while she held onto his shoulders as if she were drowning. Eventually, she was fully seated on top of him.

“...How does it feel, Mary?” he asked, beginning to thrust into her at a fast, rhythmic pace. “How does it feel to have me inside you, like you’ve wanted for so long?”

“It’s - ah! I-incredible…!” she cried. “Mmn- H-harder, Papa!” She threw her head back as he quickly found her g-spot, ramming into it with such force that it left her breathless. “I only- wish that- I could- s-see you-!”

“G-...Ghuleh…” 

Their groaning and cries merged together into one sound; two voices blending to create a duet.

Mary could feel the clenching and throbbing in her body start up again. She dug her nails into Papa’s shoulders through the fabric of his suit as she continued to bounce up and down with each thrust. She could feel herself getting closer and closer every time Emeritus slammed into her until she finally felt the coiling spring inside her release, making her cry out as she came once more, waves of pleasure spreading through her body.

“Aah! P-Papa!” she yelled, holding on to her lover for dear life. “I love you!”

Papa continued to pound into her through her entire orgasm when his body suddenly stiffened. He buried himself inside her, crying out in a loud voice as he came shortly after, his entire body shivering as he held onto the girl on top of him. When the shaking finally stopped, he fell back against the couch, panting as he attempted to catch his breath.

“...Well?” Papa said, speaking in between breaths. “How was that, Ghuleh?” He reached up and caressed her face. “Did that satisfy you?”

Mary was practically beaming with joy. “Y-yes…” she whispered. The girl loosened her grip on Papa. “Wow, that was...so much better than the book…”

“Indeed.” Emeritus placed two fingers under her chin and tilted her head up to look at her face. Mary’s eyes were still closed. He smiled. “And you remembered the rule the entire time! I'm proud of you!”

Mary only gave a breathy laugh in reply as Papa pulled out of her, placing her back down on the couch beside him. She rested her head against Papa’s shoulder and sighed, inhaling the smell of his sweat through his clothes. After a moment of silence, she spoke.

“...Papa?” she murmured.

“Yes?”

She hesitated for a moment. “...Do you... mind if I sleep now? I… feel kinda tired…”

Emeritus tucked himself back into his pants, turned to look at Mary, and smiled. “Of course, älskling,” he answered. “You’ve been through a lot tonight. Go ahead and get some rest.”

He carefully helped Mary lie back, placing one of the pillows underneath her head. Glancing at the chair that Annali had been sitting on earlier, he noticed the blanket that had been hiding the book. He got up, grabbed the blanket, and draped it over the sleepy girl.

It wasn’t long before Mary was asleep with a contented smile on her face.

The dark pope stared at Mary’s sleeping face for a moment, admiring how peaceful she looked. He knelt down beside her, brushing the girl’s bangs away from her eyes. “Thank you, Ghuleh,” he whispered. “For everything.” Leaning forward, he placed a light kiss on her forehead. When he pulled away from her, he grabbed the book and placed it on top of Mary’s chest, taking care to hide it underneath the blanket. Papa then reached into his suit, produced a small card and a pen from the jacket, and wrote a message on the card before placing it on top of the blanket. 

After putting the pen back into his pocket, Emeritus stood back up, grabbed his gloves off the table, and looked at Annali. He motioned the siamese towards him with a finger. 

The cat immediately bounded over to him, and a second later, the two of them disappeared after being engulfed in a cloud of thick, black smoke.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo! That was literally the first sex scene I've ever completely written. Fun challenge, I must say! I hope you all think I did well, as I'm going to have lots more sex scenes in later parts.
> 
> Hail Ghost!  
> NemA!


	5. Redemption

The feeling of the cool bricks of deteriorating Hotel 8 on Opulence Street brought relief to his still-burning skin. Emeritus closed his eyes, leaning against the brown building with a sigh as Annali sat down in front of him.

“Why did you do that?” A female voice echoed in his head.

Papa cracked his eyes open and stared at Annali with a half-lidded look. “...Do what?” he asked with a smile, raking a hand through his hair.

Annali’s eyes narrowed, and she thumped her tail against the ground. The female voice in Papa’s head spoke again. “Don’t act ignorant, Emeritus. Why did you have sex with her?”

Papa stared at the middle and ring fingers on his left hand. “Is it wrong for one to enjoy life’s pleasures?” he asked. He brought his fingers to his nose and sniffed them. Immediately, his eyes fluttered shut and he moaned softly. The scent of Mary’s arousal still lingered on his skin...

“Stop,” the voice demanded.

Papa’s eyes snapped open, and he lowered his hand as he stepped away from the building. He looked at his siamese with a slight pang of guilt in his eyes as he placed a hand on his chest and bowed slightly. “Forgive me, Annali. You know how it is in my nature to be like this.” He stared into the cat's mismatched eyes. “I promise I'll stop.”

Annali glared at Emeritus for a moment as the dark pope began to walk forward, putting his gloves back on. She shook her head.

“You better.”

The siamese bounded after her master, staying at his heels as they walked past the broken down buildings. After a bit of walking, Papa stopped in front of one of the demolished statues of himself and folded his arms across his chest, eyeing the broken pieces of stone and the spray-painted walls with a look of disapproval.

“...We really shouldn't be here.”

Papa turned his head towards his familiar.

“I don’t understand why you wanted me to transport you here. It’s dangerous. These people hate you.”

“That may be,” Papa replied. "but right now there is something here that I must…” He reached into his suit, producing an elegant black dagger. “...take care of.”

“Oh?” The cat's tone implied that she wasn't completely interested. “And that is…?”

Papa turned on his heels and continued walking; the siamese instinctively following him. With his empty hand, he held up three fingers. “You remember how there were three bodies lying near Mary when we found her? She thought she had murdered all three, but…” He lowered his ring finger, leaving his middle and index fingers still raised. “...I could sense that she had really only killed two. The men were dead, but the girl was still alive, just knocked unconscious. So, I figured that once I ensured that Mary was returned home and taken care of, I’d go back and...” His grip on the dagger tightened. “...deal with the girl myself.”

Annali tilted her head to the side, eyes focused on the dagger Papa was holding. “...You're going to kill one of your own citizens?” she asked.

Emeritus immediately stopped mid-stride, remaining in silence for only a moment as he thought about his answer. “No,” he declared. “The other members of the clergy wouldn’t approve of that.” The dark pope then continued walking. “If the girl so-chooses to not cooperate with me, I’ll have them decide what to do with her.”

Annali seemed satisfied with his answer, for she did not ask him any more questions.

The two of them continued on past the degraded hotels until they finally arrived at the alleyway between Hotels 12 and 13. Emeritus glanced at Annali, motioning for her to stay where she was, before sauntering down the dark, litter-covered pathway.

Before long, he reached the dead end and spotted the girl he had been looking for sitting down near the dumpster.

Lizzie was hunched over on the ground with a bottle in one hand and two pills in the other. Emeritus watched as she put the pills into her mouth, took a swig of her drink, and gave a long, irritated sigh. “Dammit…” she whispered, resting her head against the wall she was sitting against.

Papa glanced at the bottle Lizzie was holding and hummed in disapproval. “You know,” he said, finally making his presence known. “It's really not wise to take any sort of pill with alcohol, dear.” He stepped forward, hiding the knife behind his back.

Lizzie turned her head and shot a glare at him. “Don’t tell me what to do,” she grumbled, staggering as she attempted to stand. She reached into her pocket and took out two more pills. “I have this stupid fucking migraine that’s killing me and won’t go away. I need this damn Remedium to work!” She popped the pills into her mouth and took another swig of her alcoholic drink. After lowering the bottle, Lizzie wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and narrowed her eyes at Papa as he walked closer to her. “Who the hell do you think you are, telling me what I can and can’t do?!”

Papa abruptly stopped walking, his free hand flying to his chest as if the words had wounded him. “But... don't you know who I am?” he asked.

Lizzie chuckled, a large smirk present on her face. “Yeah, I know what you are,” she answered. “You're just a hallucination.”

Emeritus blinked, confused. “A hallucination?” he repeated.

“Yeah. A hallucination caused by the Remedium.” Lizzie put down her bottle of alcohol and reached into her other pocket. “In fact, I’ll prove it right now.”

Emeritus lowered his hand and raised his eyebrows as he took a couple steps closer to Lizzie. By now they were only a few feet apart. He watched as the girl pulled out a syringe with a blue-green liquid inside.

“...Somnium,” Papa said, recognizing the drug. He then narrowed his eyes and glanced at Lizzie. “I do believe it is illegal for someone your age to be in possession of that.”

Lizzie only rolled her eyes as she positioned the syringe near her left forearm. “Whatever. I’ll be twenty-one soon enough.” She then closed her eyes and began to slowly inject the drug into her arm. “One dose of this and all the hallucinations will immediately go away,” she declared. “That includes you.”

Emeritus sighed and shook his head. “Ignorant girl,” he said, mumbling under his breath. He walked until he was standing directly in front of Lizzie, patiently waiting for the girl to open her eyes and discover the truth.

A moment of silence passed before Lizzie removed the syringe from her arm with a sigh, a victorious smile present on her face. But this smile disappeared after she slowly opened her eyes and saw that Emeritus was still standing before her.

“Wh-what?!” she exclaimed, eyes wide with shock. “How?!” She looked down at the syringe in her hand, checking to see if she had injected all of the Somnium into her. The syringe was empty.

In a sudden fit of rage, Lizzie threw the syringe to the ground and reached underneath the dumpster, pulling out a bloody knife. She pointed the blade at Papa, who merely remained where he was standing, completely unfazed by the threat. “You!” Lizzie yelled, anger burning in her eyes. “How dare you show your face here, traitor!”

Emeritus blinked and pointed a finger at himself. “Me? Traitor?” He then gave a quiet laugh. “I don’t know what you are talking about.”

Lizzie gritted her teeth and took a step forward, making Papa take a step back. “You abandoned us! Left us to take care of ourselves or die trying!”

Papa frowned. “I beg to differ,” he said. “It was all of you who refused to accept my help.”

Lizzie lunged forward, attempting to strike, but Papa deflected her attack after finally brandishing his own knife. He stepped to the side as Lizzie attempted to strike again, then blocked yet another attack. The dark pope continued this same pattern of block-dodge-repeat over and over, but he himself never made an attempt to return a blow, watching as Lizzie became more and more visibly frustrated with every attack that failed to land on him.

“I did all I could, really. Many times I offered to send help to rebuild your homes and businesses,” Papa said, fending off yet another strike with his knife. “But you always declined and continued to protest.” His eyes narrowed. “All of you claimed I was a tyrant. You wanted me out of power. You constantly attempted to rebel.” He turned his body to the side, avoiding Lizzie as she lunged for him, causing the girl to stumble momentarily. “So... I really don’t think you should be going around blaming me for all of this,” Papa said, gesturing aimlessly toward the buildings around them. “It’s a rather preposterous way of thinking, my dear.”

Lizzie straightened herself and gritted her teeth, emitting a sound that resembled a snarl. “Shut up!” she yelled. “Just shut up!” Her grip on her knife tightened as she glanced at the dagger Papa was holding. “Now, are you going to stop holding back and actually fight me…” The girl then made eye contact with the dark pope, and a taunting smile spread across her face. “...Or are you too afraid to get a hair out of place?”

Emeritus raised his eyebrows. “I beg your pardon?” he asked, unamused.

Lizzie’s grin only widened. “You know, I bet you don't even need that dagger,” she said. “After all, you constantly claim to be oh-so-powerful.”

Papa glanced down at the dagger he was holding, pondering about what Lizzie was telling him. He turned the knife over in his hand, watching the moonlight reflect off of the blade. After a moment, he sighed and closed his eyes.

“You know what?” he asked. “You’re right. I don’t need it.” He pocketed the knife back into his suit jacket and slowly backed up a couple steps, shrouding himself in shadows once more. Then a smile appeared on his face, and as he opened his eyes he beckoned Lizzie forward with one finger as if to taunt her.

Immediately, Lizzie dashed for Emeritus, determination present on her face as her eyes locked onto her target. As she got closer to him, she raised her knife, prepared to strike. But just as she was about to bring the knife down, Papa suddenly gave a bow, and the shadows around him rippled and swirled before they completely enveloped him, transforming the dark pope into a solid black shape. The silhouette remained motionless for only a couple seconds before it suddenly seemed to ripple, and in the blink of an eye it broke into hundreds of pieces that were sent flying in Lizzie’s direction. 

It took her a moment to realize what the tiny shapes were supposed to be:

Bats. Real, living, breathing bats.

The girl screamed, not out of fear, but of surprise and anger as the black shapes surrounded her. She shut her eyes and covered her head as the creatures flew past, feeling the wings brush against her bare arms. She swatted at the bats, attempting to make them disperse. The girl dared to open her eyes only after all the them had flown past her. 

Dazed and confused, Lizzie panted lightly as she attempted to catch her breath. When her breathing finally steadied, she glanced at the spot where Papa had been just moments before. There was now nothing there.

She jumped when she heard a chuckle a small distance behind her.

“Surprised, child?” Emeritus asked, smiling.

Lizzie turned and immediately rushed towards Papa, raising her knife as she ran. “Why you-!” 

She started to talk, but immediately stopped when Emeritus waved his arm to the left in a grand sweeping motion, and her right arm (which was holding the knife) was suddenly pulled in the same direction by a strong, invisible force. She stopped running and attempted to bring her arm back to its original position, but it wouldn’t budge, even when she tried tugging on it with her other hand. Papa then waved his other arm in the same way, and Lizzie felt her left arm move in the same direction, raising itself into the air on its own accord. “Wh-what is this?!” she demanded, trying to hide her fear as she glared at Papa.

“Your friend was right to refer to me as a puppet master,” Emeritus said. His tone seemed almost sinister as he spoke. He lowered his right arm slightly, making Lizzie’s left arm move down with it. “With a mere wave of my hand…” He then swiftly swept his hand to the left, closing his hand into a fist as he did so, causing Lizzie’s hand to ball up and collide with the side of her own head. She stumbled and started to fall, but quickly got back up as Papa moved both hands to the right, pulling her upright. “...I can control the muscles of your body as if you were a marionette.”

The dark pope glanced at the knife that was still in Lizzie’s hand, noticing how she was still holding onto it with three fingers. He extended his left hand towards her.  
“And no matter how hard you try, you cannot…” He flicked his ring finger, causing that same finger on Lizzie’s hand to let go of the knife. “...fight…” The middle finger followed suit. “...back.” 

Lizzie’s index finger was raised, causing the knife to finally fall out of her hand and clatter onto the ground. Papa then brought his hands towards himself, pulling Lizzie towards him forcefully. When she was close enough, he swiftly reached out and grabbed her wrists. The two of them glared at each other as Lizzie attempted to wrestle herself out of his grasp.

“Why are you doing this?!” Lizzie demanded.

Emeritus’ eyes narrowed. “I’ve let you off the hook many times before, Lizzie. You’ve stolen things, smuggled drugs, helped lead riots against me, and harmed others to get what you want. Under normal circumstances, I would have just given you a warning and let things slide, as usual...” Papa glanced over his shoulder as Annali waltzed over and sat down a short distance away. His grip on Lizzie tightened as he turned to look back at her. “...but harming Mary Cantwell was the last straw.”

Papa glanced at the knife he had made Lizzie drop. “And seeing as how you tried to inflict harm upon me, I see no further need to try to reason with you.”

Annali sauntered over until she was next to Emeritus’ feet, and she looked up at her owner, awaiting his command. When their eyes met, they stared at each other for only a moment before Papa nodded his head and returned his attention to the girl he had captive.

“You, my dear, are most definitely overdue for a trial.”

The moment Emeritus finished speaking, Annali transformed into a cloud of black smoke and began to swirl around them, surrounding the two of them with an inky blackness and a frigid chill for only a few seconds before the clouds disappeared and she turned back into a cat again. When the last of the smoke finally cleared, they were no longer in the alleyway. Rather, they were now in a large, dimly lit room with crimson and black walls that were illuminated only by the lit candles that were randomly scattered about. Rows upon rows of pews covered the nearly the entire span of the floor behind them, including the upper balcony. The area in front of them had shiny, polished black stairs leading up to an altar of a similar color. To the right was a podium and a section that seemed reserved for musicians, as it housed music stands and sheet music. 

“Ah, Papa. Welcome back.”

Papa looked up towards the podium, making eye contact with an older woman who was dressed all in black, and wore a choker with a small inverted cross dangling from it. The light of the candles near her cast dark shadows over her face, and made her eyes shine like stars as she smiled at him.

Emeritus straightened himself and dropped Lizzie, who immediately collapsed onto the floor. “Thank you, Adela,” he said, placing a hand on his chest as he gave a slight bow to the older woman. “I do apologize for keeping you waiting.”

Adela only raised an eyebrow. “Me?” she asked, reaching out to pick up a white persian cat that had been sitting in front of her on the podium. She slowly pet its head for a moment, and her smile disappeared. “You think you've kept just me waiting?” The woman then stopped petting the cat and grabbed a gavel that had been laying in front of her, furiously slamming it against the podium. The persian in her arms remained unfazed by the loud noise that echoed throughout the massive room.

“You’ve kept the entire clergy waiting! Your meeting was supposed to start two hours ago!” The sheer volume of Adela’s voice was enough to make Papa momentarily tense up. “This is completely unacceptable behavior on your part!”

Annali sat down next to Emeritus and glared at him. “I told you we should have hurried,” she said, thwacking her tail against the ground.

Papa continued to keep his head lowered. “I…” He paused, taking the time to carefully choose his words. Whenever Adela was angry, it was wise to make sure that nothing made her rage boil over any more than it already had. “...Please, Adela, forgive me for my repugnant actions.” After a moment, the dark pope dared to raise his head. “It simply slipped my mind.”

Adela sighed and put down the gavel. “A lot of things slip your mind…” she muttered, speaking under her breath. The woman then finally took notice of Lizzie, who was still on the floor but trying to get back up. “And who, pray tell, is this?” she asked.

Papa’s smile returned, and he extended a hand out toward Lizzie. He raised his arm slightly, pulling the girl upward into a slumped standing position. Without waiting, he pushed Lizzie towards the altar, making her stumble and fall again. “She is none other than Lizzie Almstedt, one of the rebellion leaders on Opulence Street.”

Adela raised her eyebrows. “Just one of them?” she asked. She bent down, placed the persian cat onto the floor, then got back up and narrowed her eyes, leaning forward slightly while staring at Papa with a cold gaze. “And what of the others?”

Emeritus clasped his hands behind his back and sighed. “Dead. Slain by the hands of none other than Ms. Cantwell,” he answered. He watched as Adela took a breath to speak then quickly stopped herself before words could come out of her mouth. She remained in silence for only a moment before she attempted to speak again, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

“Well! That’s certainly some… unexpected good news, isn’t it?” Adela then snapped her fingers, and two hooded figures draped all in black came forward. “Now, while I deal with this young lady here, why don’t you hurry off to your meeting? I’m sure the clergy will be most interested to hear what you have to say.”

Papa’s smile widened, and he gave another bow before he turned and headed out of the room with Annali following close behind. Lizzie watched as the doors closed behind them with a low, loud “thud”.

Adela snapped her fingers once more and motioned towards Lizzie. The two hooded figures glanced at each other for a moment, emitting noises that resembled growls and clicks before moving in towards Lizzie, grabbing hold of her arms.

Lizzie’s eyes widened, and she glanced frantically at the two beings who were holding her with tight grasps. She could see no traces of a face from either one of them, just a dark black void underneath the hoods, and their hands looked inhuman - covered in dark grey scales with long, black claws protruding from the fingertips. “Wh-what is-”

The gavel was brought down again. 

“Hold your tongue, young lady!” Adela yelled, her smile once again gone. “You have no right to talk! Silence yourself this instant, or suffer the consequences!”

Lizzie glared at the woman in front of her. “And what will happen if I don’t?” she asked, a challenging smile appearing on her face.

Adela pressed her lips into a thin line, then looked down at the persian cat near her feet. “Freja,” she said, smiling as she addressed the cat by name. “Would you be a dear and show miss Almstedt what happens to those who…” She then glanced back at Lizzie, and her tone became serious again. “...misbehave?”

The persian flicked her tail once, then got up and bounded over towards Lizzie. Sitting on its hind legs, the cat hissed, reached up with one paw, and scratched Lizzie’s face near her mouth. The girl didn’t cry out from the stinging pain, but still winced as blood began to dribble from her lips. As Freja began walking back towards the podium, Lizzie glared at the cat before spitting onto the floor.

“Oh, you want to play this game, huh?” she asked. Lizzie then smiled. “Scratch me all you want, you mangy cat. It’ll take a lot more than a little scrape to get me to behave!”

Adela met Lizzie’s eyes with an equally challenging stare.

“So be it, then,” the woman said, picking up the gavel once more.


	6. Just the Beginning

The tree was huge; massive, with bright red fruits dangling from its branches, just out of arm's reach. Mary sat on the lush grass, arms wrapped around her legs as she gazed up at them longingly with want and curiosity.

Something cold brushed against her foot, but she paid it no mind.

“...You want one?” said a hushed voice next to her.

Keeping her eyes on the fruit, Mary silently nodded her head in reply.

“...Then why don’t you go get one?” the voice asked. “You look hungry.”

Mary’s smile faded and she sighed. “I can’t,” she mumbled. “I was told it was forbidden to eat the fruit from this tree.” She hugged her legs tighter. “If I eat the fruit, I'll die.”

The coldness slid over her feet, and Mary looked down, making eye contact with a large black snake with purple eyes. The cobra flicked its tongue out at her as it slid off her feet and made its way next to her on her left.

“You seriously believe that nonsense?” it asked, keeping its eyes locked onto Mary. “No, you most certainly won’t die.” The snake then turned itself toward the tree, following Mary’s gaze to look up at the fruit. “If you eat the fruit from this tree, you’ll become powerful and wise. You’ll become god-like.” The snake turned to look back at her. “The only reason you were told that you would die if you eat it is because they don’t want you to become stronger.” The creature leaned in closer; it’s intense stare frightening Mary only slightly. “You do want to become more powerful, don't you?” it asked.

Mary thought back to the brawl she had engaged in with Lizzie, Vlad, and Edgar earlier that night. She had originally attempted to flee from them rather than engage in combat.

Like a coward.

‘...in order to help us to the best of your ability, we need you to be willing to commit sins…’

Her hands balled up into fists as she recalled Papa’s words, playing them over in her mind.

‘...and to not be ashamed while executing those wrongdoings.’

But she had been ashamed. She had tried to run. Papa wouldn't have wanted her to do that. Papa would have wanted her to immediately be tough and face them head on.

‘...You think you can manage?’

Mary dug her nails into her palms as her hands clenched tighter into fists, then stood up, eyes focused on the tree with a determined, unwavering stare. “Yes,” she said out loud. The girl then made her way over to the giant tree and proceeded to climb, the black snake watching her every move from the ground level. After climbing up the trunk, Mary hoisted herself onto a branch and sat down on it, reaching for one of the fruits. 

She picked the piece of fruit off the branch and held it in both hands, staring at it. It was small and shaped similarly to an apple. When she bit into the lush piece of food, it was sweet and juicy with just a hint of sourness, almost like a peach.

It was at that moment that Mary finally realized just how hungry she really was, and she suddenly began to devour the piece of fruit like a ravenous animal; the sweet juices flowing into her mouth with every bite. When she was done, she tossed the apple onto the ground and plucked another off of the branch, eating the next piece of fruit in the exact same manner. This happened over and over, with the seemingly insatiable hunger never going away completely. Even when Mary felt that she had finally eaten her fill, the craving still lingered inside her, and she found herself reaching for more fruit - sometimes plucking two fruits off of the branches at once. When she had tossed her ninth apple away, she stood up on the branch she had been sitting on and reached out towards the next closest piece of fruit, standing on the tips of her toes to try and grab it.

“...You disobeyed.”

Mary abruptly stopped when she heard a ominous whisper next to her; the sinister, hushed voice making her hair stand on end. The voice was that of a young male, one that she did not recognize. And yet, for some strange reason, her mind was telling her that she really did, in fact, know who it was. Mary turned her head, but saw no one behind her.

“We told you not to eat the fruit from this tree,” the voice said. “But it seems that our attempts to dissuade you were unfortunately…ineffectual. So…”

A cracking sound was heard, and Mary felt the tree limb she was standing on start to tilt downward. Her eyes widened. The branch was breaking.

“...I guess now we'll just have to punish you.”

Before Mary could make another move, the branch broke off the tree with a loud crack, and she fell down with it, screaming as she plummeted toward the ground.

She hit the ground with a “thud” and remained motionless for a moment, trying to blink the dizziness away. As her eyes refocused, a shadow fell upon her, and Mary saw a figure looming over her. It was a male of around twenty years, with pale skin and shaggy, brown hair. His outfit seemed to resemble a Greek tunic that was white and pale yellow, with silver armor covering his shoulder blades. Large, black bracelets that seemed to resemble chains wound up his forearms. But the most striking things about him were his gold-colored eyes and…

Mary blinked. Were those wings on his back?

The girl felt as if she had seen this man before. She tried to connect a name to the face, but none came to mind.

Her eyes widened when she saw the angel raise a small elaborate staff into the air; the small, sharp blade at the bottom pointed downward, straight at her chest.  
She rolled to the side as the angel plunged the sharp end towards her, then got up and hurried away from her attacker. She ran, frightened by all that was currently going on.

After running for a bit, she turned her head to look back at the tree. For some reason, the angel wasn’t making any move to follow her. He just stood there, watching her run away.

“So you've turned into a coward, I see...”

Mary heard another male voice speak to her, one that it didn't sound the same as the angel who had spoken to her before. 

The male voice gave a quiet laugh. “You're still so pathetic as ever, Kerstin,” it said.

“...Kerstin?” Mary repeated the name in a quiet voice, confused. “Who is-”

But before she could finish her thought, Mary suddenly collided into someone as she turned to look back in front of her. She fell to the ground again, but the person she had bumped into remained standing, completely unfazed. After shaking her head to recover, Mary looked up and saw a man that looked extremely similar to the angel she had seen by the tree, but with some noticeable differences: he wore no bracelets, a silver breastplate instead of shoulder armor, and his tunic was white and crimson. He held a sword in one hand and a small, black and red, circular shield in the other. There was a scar on his right cheek, and his eyes were a bright scarlet red. Large, white wings also adorned his back.

A wicked grin spread across the red angel’s face. “Killing you will be even easier, now,” he said, pointing the blade of his sword at Mary as she attempted to stand. He then swung his weapon, attempting to strike, but Mary staggered out of the way before the sharp edge of the blade could make contact with her. 

After regaining her balance, Mary raised her fist and charged at the angel, attempting to strike, but he knocked his shield into her before she could manage to hit him. As she stumbled sideways, something shot past her and punched her in the face, knocking her down once more. Mary shut her eyes and gritted her teeth as she hit the ground, opening them after remaining motionless for only a moment.

When she finally opened her eyes, she saw yet another angel that was similar to the other two. He had the same pale skin and shaggy brown hair, but his tunic was white and blue, and he wore silver armor on his forearms. Fancy daggers with white blades and pale blue handles dangled from his belt, and his eyes were the palest blue Mary had ever seen. He appeared to be the least threatening of the three.

As Mary attempted to stand, the yellow angel who had been by the tree finally joined the other two. The blue angel then reached out and grabbed her wrist, yanking her up. But despite the forcefulness, the angel’s face did not show any hatred or anger. Rather, there seemed to be a hint of sorrow in his eyes. Keeping a tight grip on Mary’s wrist, he pulled out one of the daggers and cut her forearm, as well as his own, in two quick motions. The angel stared silently at what he had done as blood slowly began to drip from their wounds. The blood which dripped from the angel’s arm was a bright red, but the blood which dribbled down Mary’s arm was… darker; almost resembling a burgundy color.

“...The blood of a sinner,” the angel sighed, watching the dark red color drip onto the grass by their feet. “You’re tainted, even in this lifetime.” Lifting his head, he held Mary’s wrist with both hands and met her eyes with an almost pleading stare. “...Must it be like this every time, Elizabeth?” he whispered. 

Mary’s eyes narrowed. Another different name?

The blue angel continued, still giving her a sorrowful look. “Elizabeth, why must you let Emeritus corrupt you every time?”

Gritting her teeth, Mary yanked herself out of the angel’s grasp. “Mary!” she yelled. “My name is Mary!” She turned to look at the red and yellow angels and clenched her hands into fists. “It’s not Elizabeth, and it’s not Kerstin!” She squeezed her eyes shut. “Stop calling me other names!”

The yellow angel raised an eyebrow and glanced at the red angel next to him before stepping forward. “Oh, but Kerstin…” he began.

“I said stop!” Mary shouted, stomping one foot on the ground. Her voice seemed to echo in the vast, open air for a while before all was silent again; not one of the angels daring to speak.

Mary remained motionless and silent for only a moment before she dared to open her eyes. But when she did, her eyes widened, for she could see that she was no longer in the lush, beautiful garden with the giant tree. Rather, she was now in a long corridor filled with blazing flames and the unmistakable smell of smoke.

The yellow angel, staff in hand, was still standing before her, glaring at Mary with his golden eyes. The red and blue angels had somehow mysteriously vanished, leaving the two of them alone. 

He stared at Mary in silence for a moment before he raised his staff and slammed it against the ground, causing the small chartreuse jewel at the end to shine. Mary backed away in fear, only to find her back pressed against the wall.

The staff ceased glowing after only a moment, and the angel stood up, turned, and began to walk down the corridor.

Something shiny caught Mary’s eye, and she glanced down at the floor. There, lying on the floor just a few feet away from her, was a sword. The blade was shiny and silver, while the rest of the weapon - from the crossguard to the pommel - was black and maroon.

Mary glanced back at the angel who was walking away from her, and an idea suddenly popped into her head. Maybe she could use the sword and get back at him! 

Looking back down at the blade by her feet, Mary slowly reached out towards the sword. But just as she attempted to close her hand around the hilt, the floor underneath her suddenly caved in and she fell, screaming as she plunged into a vast, inky darkness.

With a gasp, Mary opened her eyes and bolted upright, clutching the blanket with one hand. Her eyes were wide, and she was panting as she looked around. She was back in her apartment.

She gave a sigh of relief and slowly closed her eyes, loosening her grip on the blanket. It had all been just a bad dream.

When she opened her eyes again, she noticed a small black and gold card on top of the blanket she was using. Picking it up, she saw a message written in what appeared to by shiny, silver ink:

You have officially agreed to help us, Ghuleh. Now all you have to do is trust us, no matter what happens. - P.E.

“About time you woke up.”

Mary opened her eyes and turned her head left, looking for the source of the sound. Esther was standing next to her, arms folded across her chest as she glared down at her.

“Oh, h-hey Esther,” Mary said. She proceeded to get up off the couch, but stopped when she saw her pajama pants on the floor, suddenly remembering what had happened earlier that night. She hadn’t put the pants back on before she dozed off, so she was still naked from the waist down. Mary blushed and adjusted the blanket accordingly to hide her lower body. “When...When did you get home?”

Esther sighed and unfolded her arms. “An hour ago. You were still asleep at that time.” The older girl then closed her eyes and stretched for a moment. “I tried to wake you up, but no matter what I did, you just kept right on sleeping.” Her eyes opened again. “And on top of that, you were snoring.”

Mary narrowed her eyes, and her hands clenched into fists. “H-hey! I do not snore!”

Esther only rolled her eyes. “Whatever,” she said. She then sniffed the air and gestured towards the bathroom. “Now why don’t you go and shower before helping me with dinner,” she said. “You reek of sweat right now, and I don’t want to smell it while I’m cooking.” She then glanced down at the floor where Mary’s pajama pants were, and, after a moment of staring, pressed her lips together.

Mary’s eyes went back and forth from her pajama pants to Esther’s face, worry beginning to fill her. What in the world would she say if Esther picked them up and saw her soaked panties along with them?! ‘Please don’t ask about it. Please don’t ask about it. Please don’t ask about it,” her mind begged.

Esther’s eyes lingered on the article of clothing for a moment longer before she slowly took a breath. “...Yeah. Why don’t you go do... that,” she said, seemingly attempting to hide a look of disgust. She then turned and (rather hurriedly) headed towards the the kitchen area.

Mary watched her sister walk off before getting up, keeping the blanket wrapped around her waist. As she stood up, something fell onto the floor. It took Mary a moment to realize that it was the smutty book that Papa had found, and she picked it up, tucking it underneath the couch cushions before Esther could see it. After ensuring that it was well hidden, she picked up her pants and panties and headed into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her and dropping the clothes onto the floor after entering.

Letting the blanket fall to the floor, Mary rolled up one of her sleeves and slowly began to peel off one of the bandages that was on her left forearm. By now, the wound had completely healed, leaving smooth, perfect skin with no traces of injury, not even a scar.

As Mary fully removed the bandage, she glanced at the blood which stained it and recalled her dream.

“...The blood of a sinner.” Mary repeated the blue angel’s words under her breath. She sighed as she tossed the bandage into the garbage, then proceeded to remove another one farther up her arm. “Good.”

The girl smiled as she recalled all of the events of the night. “So… how was your night since you left the store, Mary?” she asked herself, mumbling quietly. She then chuckled, and her grin widened as she removed the bandage from her upper arm and took off her pajama top.

“Pretty crazy, actually. I ran into that customer from earlier, who for some reason said - get this - that cats could talk.” As Mary spoke, she began removing the bandages spread across the rest of her body. “Yeah, he was a bit odd. Then, when I got to Opulence Street, I encountered a few street thugs who demanded for money, and we ended up getting into a pretty serious fight. I actually killed them! Heh, never thought I’d actually be saying that in my lifetime. Then Papa Emeritus showed up again, whisked me back to my apartment with help from his cat, who’s actually a familiar! But it seems that she doesn’t talk, despite being magical. Anyway, he treated my wounds, gave me a healing drug, and finally we actually fucked before he-”

Mary abruptly paused, thinking about what she had just said. “We… fucked…” she whispered.

Her eyes widened. She had had sex with Papa Emeritus.

She had had sex.

Unprotected.

“Shit…!” Mary’s hands slammed down onto the countertop, her eyes wide as she kept her head lowered. “No. No. Nononono, I can’t!” Her hands clenched into fists, and she shut her eyes as tears suddenly began to leak out. “I can’t become pregnant!”

“You won’t.”

Mary’s eyes snapped open when she heard an unfamiliar female voice speak to her. She raised her head, and gasped at what she saw in the mirror. 

Her reflection had changed. Now, instead of a seventeen year old girl with short, brown hair, it showed a woman of twenty-two years with long, black hair tied back into a ponytail; her outfit resembling that of a warrior’s.

But her eyes were still the exact same lavender color.

The woman smiled warmly at Mary as she spoke. “Papa told me, but I guess he forgot to tell you,” she said. “You can’t get pregnant. You’re infertile.”

Mary stared at the woman, awed and frightened. “W-who… Who are you?!” she asked, finally able to form words.

The woman brushed a few strands of hair away from her face, despite the fact that Mary had not performed that action.

“I’m you,” she answered. The woman then paused, thinking for a moment. “Actually, let me correct that,” she said, holding up a finger. The woman then pointed at Mary. “I died and became you.”

Mary shook her head, bewildered. “W-what?!”

“Remember this: whenever Papa Emeritus reincarnates, this world, and all of its citizens, reincarnate with him.” The woman then narrowed her eyes, and she ceased smiling. “Some of your memories might not actually be your own.”

Mary stared at the mirror, speechless, before finally making herself move again. She turned the faucet on and splashed the cold water onto her face, occasionally rubbing her eyes at the same time.

“Not real… Not real…” she whispered. “You’re seeing things…Snap out of it…!”

When Mary finally lowered her hands, she glanced back at the mirror, and sighed in relief when she saw that her reflection had returned back to normal. The girl turned off the faucet and pressed her palms against the counter, leaning forward as she attempted to process what she had just seen and heard. After a while, she smiled and laughed to herself.

“Man,” Mary whispered. “This night just keeps getting weirder and weirder.” She then raised her head, staring into the eyes of her reflection. “I wonder… is this just the beginning?”

***

Papa sighed as he leaned back in his chair, thankful that the meeting was finally over. He raked his fingers through his hair as Annali sauntered into the room. The two of them made eye contact as the siamese sat down in front of him.

“Well?” she asked, flicking her tail. “How was it?”

Papa smiled and stood up. “Almost perfect,” he answered. “The setlist has been approved, we have all that we require for the initiation ritual, and…” He gestured towards a long, black and crimson robe that was laid out on the table in front of him. “...Her costume turned out just how I had requested.”

Annali lept up onto the table as Papa smoothed out a couple wrinkles in the fabric, revealing the embroidered white alchemy symbol for sulfur. The dark pope was full of pride as he spoke. “Combining aspects from both the Opus and Infestissumam eras while also including my own little Meliora touch.”

The cat, however, wasn’t exactly impressed by the garment. “You said almost perfect,” she said, irritation present in her voice. “...What happened?”

Papa kept his head lowered, suddenly focusing on the grucifix pendant that had been laid out next to the robe.

Annali’s eyes narrowed. “Answer me, Emeritus.”

“Nothing… too serious…” he replied, trying to not make eye contact with his familiar.

Annali sighed, thwacking her tail against the table. “You freaked out in the middle of the meeting again, didn’t you?” she asked.

“Preposterous! Annali, I do not ‘freak out’,” Papa argued, quoting the last two words of his statement with two fingers. He turned, meeting the cat’s mismatched eyes. “I just got a little stressed, that’s all.”

The cat sighed. "If you say so." She laid down on the long table, watching Emeritus adjust the robe. “So… you really think she’ll be ready when we come and get her?” she asked.

Papa reached out and picked up a small, black masquerade mask, brushing it with his hand to ensure that it was clean. “No, I don’t think she’ll be ready,” he replied.

“I know for a fact that she will be ready to become an acolyte.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If this chapter has left you confused, that's good! Don't worry, your questions will probably be answered in Part 2.


End file.
